Some businesses are born out of research and focus groups, while others emerge from the love of creation - like Melissa's, which blossomed from a passion for good, wholesome food.
Melissa van Hoogstraten, young, newly married and still figuring out what to do for a living, opened her first store 21 years ago in Kloof Street, Cape Town.
Her husband, Mark, had suggested she open a little shop selling things she loved and had baked herself. Shortly after, they stumbled upon the Kloof Street premises around the corner from their flat. It was too big for their needs but they signed the lease anyway, with just enough money to cover the first month's rent.
The day the store opened, Melissa baked all the rusks and biscuits and packed and labelled them.
"I had no idea how to run a restaurant, but people actually came and loved it and naturally ended up spending more and more time there. I had to figure out a way to feed them. For me, the most obvious solution was to feed them as I would guests at home. That's how the buffet concept began and then it just took off."
In 2012, they adopted a franchise model to facilitate the growth of the brand, but have retained four company-owned stores.
Revenue growth is on average 5% to 8% a year depending on the area, management and ownership.
Most of the 14 outlets are in the Western Cape - in Hermanus, Durbanville, Plettenberg Bay and the Table Bay Mall, which is due to open in late September. There are also outlets in Johannesburg.
"I've never been one to follow food trends. I do what I love and what comes naturally to me and I'm just grateful that other people appreciate it and understand it. I'm driven by what I love to create," said Van Hoogstraten.
She lives what she describes as a very simple life with Mark, three children and five dogs on a smallholding in the Cape.
"I have always drawn inspiration from my environment and surrounded myself with things I love. I'm inspired by nature, the garden, my family, our animals, making things and a more traditional way of life. It's so easy for one to become distracted in our modern world, but if you remain focused and surround yourself with what you love, you'll constantly feel inspired.
"As a child, I was always baking, cooking, making things, wrapping little gifts and giving them away to friends and family. As an adult, that passion never really went away and so Melissa's just felt like a natural way for me to earn a living doing what I loved."
The company launched two brand extensions last year.
Mantra is the new lifestyle brand and there are currently four stores - three in Cape Town and one in Rivonia, Johannesburg. Mantra offers a range of quality gifts, everyday accessories and homeware.
Mantra Café is the brand's first restaurant and bar concept on the famous Camps Bay strip. It's about delicious, unfussy food in a relaxed beachfront setting.
"All three brands are very much an extension of what we love and how we live, driven by quality, originality and authenticity," said Van Hoogstraten.
There are plans for the Mantra brand to expand beyond South Africa.
The business remains privately owned. "We have full control of what we're doing and what's important to us. I think if we had external investors there's the possibility we would have to make decisions we may not agree with."
From a product standpoint, biscuits and rusks have remained a firm customer favourite over the years. Other popular categories are nougat and sweets.
When the business started they produced everything in-house, but over the years they've outsourced, to focus on the stores.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.