Simbisa Sizzles
Leaders in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) business Simbisa continues to expand across Zimbabwe and the region. Their newest state-of-the-art complex is situated at 36 Cork Road on the corner of King George Road in the bustling heart of Avondale. Not surprisingly it’s called Cork Corner.
It conveniently incorporates a number of their favourite brands for residents and workers in the area – and beyond. Closest to Cork Road is RocoMamas (which specialises in the most delicious burgers, ribs, and wings), followed by Ocean Basket (for the best Mediterranean-style seafood), then Pizza Inn, where Steers are also set to open soon. Incorporated in the Pizza Inn is the Creamy Inn outlet for a delectable selection of cones, cups, milkshakes, sundaes, and waffles. Creamy Inn provides the perfect dessert for any meal or an anytime treat for families and friends. Chicken Inn, closest to King George Road, is a stand-alone structure with indoor and outdoor seating, takeaways from the counter, and a great drive-through for people on the go, or wanting to take home a tasty and satisfying meal. The entrance and exit for the complex are on Cork Road, while the drive-through exits to King George Road.
The whole place is busy and buzzy, colourful and trendy. It’s perfect for office or shop workers from the surrounding area to grab a breakfast, coffee or a fast and tasty lunch. It’s also ideal for a quick business meeting. It’s family-friendly and the variety of food on offer is great. Mum and Dad can order seafood while the kids can order chicken, a burger, or a pizza, and the whole family can enjoy their individual favourites at the same time. Evenings are good for singles or couples from the surrounding to sit down and grab a quick bite or a meal to take home. RocoMamas and Ocean Basket are perfect for a more formal meal or perhaps a bit of a romantic night out.
RocoMamas is closest to Cork Road and the start of the lineup of fine food outlets. There’s outdoor seating under a slatted canopy on the Cork Road side plus additional seating in the front and more outdoor seating upstairs on the balcony which they share with Ocean Basket next door. The decor is a kind of funky African fusion style with exposed brickwork and large murals of African portraits. Slatted wooden ceilings and wall art, together with copper wire and wooden lampshades complete the earthy look. Seating options include individual tables and chairs as well as banquettes for larger groups. Chairs are in shades of orange and black to fit in with the overall relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere. There’s a full kitchen behind the front counter and a prep kitchen in front. The restaurant can accommodate around 100 seated diners but takeaways are also available. It has a youthful and energetic vibe but the upstairs can easily accommodate serious diners. They’re open from 10 am to 10 pm and are fully licensed.
Next door, sharing the outside ground floor and balcony seating upstairs, is Ocean Basket. It has a different vibe – whereas RocoMamas has a more serious and slightly darker and funkier feel Ocean Basket has a light and airy vibe, in part due to the large glass frontage on the ground and first floor. With the ground floor sliding glass and aluminium doors wide open it feels like you’re by the seaside. All that’s missing is the sound of the waves and a gentle sea breeze. It has the relaxed and informal atmosphere of a seaside eatery anywhere on the African or Mediterranean coast.
Their menu reflects their international flavour delights with a Mediterranean feel and includes an extensive sushi selection from Asia. There are several seating options from intimate small tables to larger tables to accommodate bigger parties of family and friends in a truly convivial atmosphere. Tables have a variety of settings, including blue and white tiled tops, as well as striped fabric tablecloths, paper tablecloths, or plain timber. Wooden chairs come in a variety of mix-and-match styles – mostly blue or white with a touch of fresh yellow. Thick chunky ropes and steel lampshades complete the maritime feel. The kitchen is mostly open to view by the public so you can see your delicious fresh fish grilled or fried, and there’s the sushi bar too to select from. The restaurant seats about 130 diners and takeaways and deliveries are available too. They’re not yet licensed but expect their license to be awarded soon.
Next door, separated by an outside seating area, with red and black chairs, is the famous Pizza Inn. It has a double-volume space but no upstairs seating. Apart from the outdoor seating, there are a few inside tables for diners who prefer to eat on-site – not all diners want takeaways. The walls are adorned with brightly coloured vinyl, and photo banners showing their tempting food. A sign also says Steers will be opening shortly in the same venue. Overall it’s a bright, welcoming and attractive space. Nestled in the corner is Creamy Inn, done out appropriately in ice cream colours of pastel pink and green. What better way to round off a meal than with a cone or a tub to take home? These days it’s so hot that an ice cream is a welcome treat for kids and adults anytime.
The row of outlets is sheltered by a sexy, curvy overhanging roof above the outdoor seating to shelter diners from sun and rain. It links all the restaurants together as well as providing balcony seating above. In front of the downstairs outdoor seating areas are planter boxes which, when more established, will provide a soft barrier to the car park in front as well as look attractive. The car park has also been landscaped with patches of grass trees and plants along the Clearview fence onto King George. Postcorp Glass and Aluminium supplied most of the shopfronts and some of the interior shopfitting.
To the right of the long curvy block, closest to King George Road, is Chicken Inn, separated by the access road for the drive-through. In contrast to the curvy design Chicken Inn is very square and geometric – although there is a curved portico above the drive-through entrance to tie it into the other structure. From the outside, it’s a riot of fantastic colours in their trademark red and yellow (with touches of black) – unmistakable and unmissable from King George Road. A ramp, convenient for disabled customers, leads to the main entrance. To the left of the entrance is a small outdoor seating space behind a low balustrade. The ground floor is mostly aluminium and glass so it’s bright and airy inside. Directly In front of the entrance is the counter to place your orders and pay. There’s some indoor seating on the ground floor as well as additional seating upstairs. The whole upstairs section can rented out for private parties or celebrations. It’s mostly self-service so wait staff don’t come to the table to take your order, unlike RocoMamas or Ocean Basket. Chicken Inn offers sit-down dining, takeaways, and deliveries as well as a drive-through, so there are options for everyone.
Work on the site started in January 2023 and most of the outlets opened on the 18th of January 2024, with the official opening celebrations on the 27th of January. Ocean Basket opened a little later on the 1st of February. The structure was designed by the local architectural practice Pearce McComish Tarabuku. By making the structure double-storey they were able to effectively increase the seating capacity of the restaurants as well as maintain ample parking space for customers and incorporate the drive-through. The main contractor was A. M. Machado who was also involved in some of the interior design and shopfitting. Jewel Signs – Simbisa’s favoured supplier – provided all the signage to Simbisa’s very demanding specs.
The state-of-the-art stand-alone complex, one of the first for Simbisa in Zimbabwe, is serviced by a huge generator as well as a borehole to accommodate inconsistent water and power supplies so customers can always get the best food and the best service. Hopefully, Simbisa will provide more of these complexes for their loyal customers shortly!
Staff and central stores
Double storey footprint
Opening
