Woolworths Expands Food Footprint With New NOW NOW Takeaway Restaurant Launch

• Woolworths opened a new standalone NOW NOW takeaway outlet at Somerset Mall, expanding beyond its traditional supermarket model
• The fast-casual restaurant features a rotating seasonal menu including gourmet breakfast buns, warm bowls, and plant-based burgers
• The move signals Woolworths's broader strategy to compete with fast-food chains and capture on-the-go shoppers nationwide

Woolworths has opened a new standalone NOW NOW takeaway outlet at Somerset Mall, marking another step in its push to become a serious player in South Africa's fast-casual dining space.

The retailer, long known for its premium food offering inside its supermarket stores, is now channelling that reputation into a dedicated quick-service format designed to attract busy shoppers and commuters looking for quality food without the wait.

NOW NOW targets the on-the-go consumer

The Somerset Mall location features a rotating seasonal menu built around speed and convenience. Diners can choose from gourmet breakfast buns, warm bowls, and plant-based burgers, all designed to be eaten on the move or ordered through delivery apps.

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The format puts Woolworths in direct competition with established fast-food chains rather than traditional grocery rivals. Rather than drawing customers in for a trolley run, NOW NOW is designed to capture the lunchtime and breakfast crowd who might otherwise head to a fast-food outlet or coffee chain.

A wider national expansion

The Somerset Mall opening is part of a broader rollout strategy aimed at placing NOW NOW outlets across major shopping hubs around the country. Woolworths appears to be betting that its food brand carries enough weight to convert loyal supermarket shoppers into regular fast-casual customers.

The move reflects a shift in how South African retailers are thinking about food. With delivery app culture firmly established in cities and towns, a brand like Woolworths offering a high-quality, fast-service menu with delivery integration fills a gap that few competitors in its tier have moved to occupy. For Woolworths, the NOW NOW concept is less about reinvention and more about extension, taking what shoppers already trust about the brand and meeting them where they are spending more of their time and money.

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3 Briefly News articles about Woolworths

• A South African content creator demonstrated how to transform the reusable Woolworths shopping bag into a functional container for growing fresh produce at home.
• A social media coach analysed the strategic partnership between Woolworths and Curro Century City, explaining that the retailer gains long-term brand loyalty from students while the private school elevates its prestige.
• A local woman broke down how Woolworths deliberately uses subtle, hard-to-find price tags on premium products to encourage emotional connection over cost comparisons.

Source: Briefly News