Woolworths Is Serving Up More: Three New Eateries Coming to Gauteng
Woolworths has confirmed it will open three new sit-down eateries in the second half of 2026: two WCafes and one Now Now. All three are in Gauteng. The announcement follows the recent launch of a new Now Now takeaway store at Somerset Mall in the Western Cape.
Where the new stores are going
- WCafe at Eastway Centre, Pretoria
- WCafe at Castle Gate, Pretoria
- Now Now at Broadacres, Johannesburg
Why Woolworths is investing in food services
WCafes, Now Now branches, coffee hatches and tuckshops all fall under the group's Food Services division, which Woolworths describes as a high-growth business central to its strategy. It told BusinessTech that expanding the offering is a key driver of new revenue streams, helps attract new customers, and grows its share of spend among existing ones. In its words, the investment is about meeting customers where they are with convenient, high-quality food.
Two brands, two ideas
Now Now launched in April 2017 as an express takeaway and café concept aimed at busy office workers and commuters who want fast, affordable, good-quality meals. The first outlet opened on Longmarket Street in Cape Town's City Bowl, close to the Woolworths head office. Speed was the point: it came with an order-ahead app so customers could order on their phones and collect without queuing. It has since spread into major malls such as Rosebank Mall and Canal Walk, and into some high-traffic transport corridors.
WCafe is the older of the two, first opened in 2009 at Gateway Mall in KwaZulu-Natal. It's a coffee shop and casual dining chain owned and operated by Woolworths, usually inside or next to a Woolworths store. The menu covers breakfasts, burgers, cakes, toasted sandwiches and salads, with options for vegan customers. Woolworths highlights free-range eggs, chicken and beef, "sustainably farmed" produce, and 100% African organic Arabica coffee from Ethiopia and Tanzania. Including coffee carts and hatches, there are about 230 WCafe and go-to locations across South Africa.
The bigger business picture
The expansion comes as Woolworths reorients itself around its Food business, which outperformed other segments and gave the group a competitive edge. Some figures from the 2026 financial year:
- Turnover rose 4.3% year-on-year to R84.5 billion, with growth across every segment.
- EBITDA grew 2.8% to R8.9 billion.
- Headline earnings per share rose to R2.82 from R2.68, although earnings per share dipped to R2.63.
- Woolworths Food turnover grew 5.7%, and the group kept gaining grocery market share.
- It opened 13 new grocery stores, taking trading space to over 291,000 square metres.
The company employs more than 34,000 people in its South African operations.
What it means for shoppers
If you live in or around Pretoria or northern Johannesburg, you'll soon have more places to grab a coffee or a quick lunch from a brand you already know. For Woolworths, these small-format sites are a way to get customers through the door more often, and to keep them spending within the brand.
Source: BusinessTech, with comments from Woolworths.
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