Anat Apter: How a housewife turned a simple idea into a business empire

Anat Apter, mother of three and the founder of the Middle Eastern restaurant Anat , started her business with almost nothing when her family experienced financial problems.

In 1991 she bought a food trailer for R600, which she paid off over six months. She then went to Bruma Lake flea market, where she sold only her specialty- Falafel.

According to Apter, Falafel was what she made best, and she believed from the start that her customers should only receive the best.

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She then added Schwarmas to her menu, which turned into such a huge success, that two years later, in 1994, she opened her first store in Sandton City's food court.

According to Anat's website, the staff worked long hours to build their shop, with some of the few chefs physically building their own kitchen.

However, the hard work paid off, seeing as just a year later, in 1995, she opened her second store in Eastgate.

In 1999, the first Anat franchise was opened, and in 2002 the Anat fast food chain added a bakery, with an oven imported from Isreal.

The bakery took off and Anat was finally able to use a family recipe to make their own pita bread.

Now, what started out as a food trailer at a flea market turned into a fast food empire specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine.

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Anat's vow to only provide the best to South African consumers contributed to the huge success it has today.

The story of how Anat Apter started her business is truly inspiring, proving once again that nothing is impossible if you work hard enough.

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Source: Briefly News