Who Owns Steers?

• Parent Company: Famous Brands Limited
• Ownership Type: Wholly owned
• Acquisition Year: 1999
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock Ticker: JSE: FB

• Founded: 1952
• Founders: Steers Inc.
• Acquired by Famous Brands Limited: 1999

• Founded: 1972
• Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock: JSE: FB
• Revenue: approximately ZAR 9.4 billion (FY2024)
• Employees: Approximately 5,000

Visit Famous Brands Limited website

• Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa
• Manufacturing / Operations: South Africa, United Kingdom, Australia

Steers operates under Famous Brands' comprehensive sustainability framework, which emphasizes environmental responsibility, food safety standards, and ethical business practices in the South African fast food context. The brand integrates sustainability concepts into its operations while implementing practical environmental initiatives across its restaurant network.

Food Safety and Quality Standards: Steers maintains stringent food safety policies across all restaurants, ensuring that the food served is fresh, high-quality, and safe to eat. The brand adheres to the highest requirements and international best practice standards, with all restaurants required to uphold these standards and undergo regular audits. Suppliers are also required to adhere to demanding food safety standards and are independently audited to maintain food safety requirements.

Sustainable Packaging Initiatives: Steers has made significant commitments to environmental protection by switching to 100% compostable and recyclable eco-cups, making all restaurants no plastic straw zones. The brand reports that 92% of all Steers packaging is biodegradable and compostable, including takeaway bags, burger boxes, chip packets, straws, and sharing boxes. This comprehensive approach to sustainable packaging demonstrates the brand's commitment to reducing plastic waste.

Local Sourcing and Community Support: Steers sources its pork from local pig farmers who supply meat for bacon, ribs, and rib patties, supporting local agricultural communities. The brand partners with local farmers to develop and empower themselves and their communities by providing access to education, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities. This local sourcing approach ensures home-grown quality while supporting regional economic development.

Responsible Farming Practices: Steers cares about environmental sustainability and ensures that food is produced, sourced, and grown responsibly. The brand sources only free-range eggs from farms that allow chickens to roam freely and are never housed in cages, supporting animal welfare and humane farming practices. Steers believes that happy chickens produce healthier and higher quality eggs, which benefits both customers and animal welfare.

Sugar Reduction and Health Conscious Options: To help customers make better food choices, Steers has added the TruFruit range with no added sugar and no sugar soft drink alternatives to its menu. The brand also provides kilojoule counts on all menu items and highlights low-kilojoule options with a "Better For You" icon, including chicken burgers, salads, and veggie burger options for health-conscious customers.

Special Dietary Requirements: Steers has designed its menu to cater to diverse dietary needs including food allergies, intolerances, dietary restrictions, and lifestyle choices. The brand operates fully certified Halaal Steers restaurants offering alternatives like macon for pork, boneless beef rib patties, and maintains comprehensive allergen information breakdowns on its website and in-store.

Environmental Protection Commitment: Steers is committed to protecting the environment and reducing plastic usage across its operations. The brand continuously re-evaluates and modifies its packaging to meet sustainability goals while maintaining the quality and freshness of its flame-grilled food products.

Steers has received recognition for its innovative flame-grilled burger concept, quality food offerings, and contributions to the South African fast food industry, particularly for its sustainability initiatives and community engagement programs.

Flame-Grilled Innovation Recognition: Steers has been acknowledged as the original flame-grilled burger concept in South Africa since the 1960s. The brand's pioneering approach to flame-grilling has received recognition for creating a unique taste profile that differentiates it in the competitive fast food burger market.

Award-Winning Burger Recognition: Steers has received recognition for its award-winning burgers, particularly the King Steer Burger and other signature products. The brand's commitment to quality ingredients and flame-grilling techniques has been acknowledged by food critics and customer satisfaction surveys.

Sustainability Leadership Awards: Steers has received recognition for its comprehensive sustainability initiatives, including the switch to 100% compostable packaging, support for local farmers, and commitment to free-range egg sourcing. The brand's "Food with Thought" program has been acknowledged for integrating environmental responsibility into fast food operations.

Community Support Recognition: The brand has received acknowledgment for supporting local farmers and emerging agricultural communities through its local sourcing programs. Steers' commitment to community empowerment and local economic development has been recognized by agricultural and business organizations.

Food Safety Excellence Recognition: Steers has been acknowledged for maintaining stringent food safety standards across all restaurants, with regular audits and compliance with international best practice standards. The brand's commitment to food safety and quality has been recognized by regulatory authorities and industry associations.

Market Position Leadership: Steers has been acknowledged as a significant player in the South African fast food burger segment, with over 400 locations across multiple countries. The brand's strong market presence and flame-grilled expertise have been recognized as setting standards in the fast food industry.

Franchise Model Success: As part of Famous Brands Limited, Steers has been recognized for successful franchise expansion and operational excellence across its restaurant network, contributing to Famous Brands' position as Africa's largest restaurant franchisor.

Customer Satisfaction Awards: Steers has received recognition for customer satisfaction, particularly for consistent quality, clean stores, and fast service. Customer reviews highlight the brand's consistency and flavor, with drive-thru speed improvements noted as enhancing customer experience.

Steers has maintained a strong operational record throughout its history, with no significant product recalls or major controversies that have impacted its reputation as a leading South African fast food brand.

Food Safety and Quality Control: There have been no significant product recalls or safety incidents involving Steers products. The brand maintains robust food safety protocols and quality control measures across all restaurants, ensuring that flame-grilled food products meet safety standards. Steers' commitment to food safety has been validated through regular audits and compliance checks.

Health and Nutrition Considerations: As a fast food brand, Steers faces ongoing scrutiny regarding the health implications of fast food consumption, including calorie content, sodium levels, and nutritional value. The brand has addressed these concerns by introducing healthier options like TruFruit drinks, kilojoule labeling, and veggie burger alternatives, though questions about fast food health impact persist in broader public discourse.

Franchise Quality Management: Steers operates under a franchise model that creates variability in restaurant quality and service. While Famous Brands maintains quality standards across the network, individual franchise performance can vary, creating challenges in maintaining consistent customer experience across all locations. These franchise-related challenges represent operational considerations rather than brand-specific controversies.

Environmental Impact Questions: Despite sustainability initiatives, Steers faces ongoing scrutiny regarding the environmental impact of fast food operations, including energy consumption, waste generation, and packaging waste. The brand's switch to compostable packaging and reduction of plastic use addresses some concerns, though questions remain about the environmental footprint of fast food operations.

Market Competition Challenges: Steers operates in the highly competitive fast food and burger industry, facing competition from international chains like McDonald's and Burger King, as well as local South African competitors. These competitive pressures represent normal market dynamics rather than controversies or operational issues.

Supply Chain Ethics: Steers maintains responsible supply chain practices for meat and other ingredients, though the fast food industry faces general questions about animal welfare, environmental impact, and labor practices. Steers addresses these concerns through local sourcing and free-range egg initiatives, though broader industry challenges persist.

Pricing and Value Perception: As a mid-range fast food option, Steers faces questions about whether its pricing provides good value relative to quality and ethical considerations, reflecting broader debates about fast food value propositions and ethical business practices in the restaurant industry.

Cultural Adaptation Success: Steers has successfully navigated South Africa's evolving food landscape and consumer preferences since 1952, adapting to changes in dietary trends, health consciousness, and international food culture while maintaining its flame-grilled identity and market position.