Tasty Gallos has entered the university campus market for the first time, opening a restaurant at the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Student Union Building Matrix to tap into growing demand among Gen Z consumers, who spend a significantly greater share of their budgets on restaurants, takeaways, and fast food than older age groups.
With young South Africans spending an increasing share of their budgets on takeaways while navigating the rising cost of living, bringing affordable, convenient food closer to students is becoming an important part of the campus conversation.
Tasty Gallos’ first university campus restaurant at Wits puts this into focus, opening up a discussion about student spending habits, food affordability and how businesses can respond to the changing needs of young consumers.
Tasty Gallos has entered the university campus market for the first time, opening a restaurant at the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Student Union Building Matrix to tap into growing demand among Gen Z consumers, who spend a significantly greater share of their budgets on restaurants, takeaways, and fast food than older age groups.
Muhammed Gutta, founder and CEO of Tasty Gallos, says Gen Z is unmistakably the fast-food generation and an increasingly critical market for fast-food brands, with convenience playing strongly into how students eat. Standard Bank’s 2026 Youth Barometer Report supports this, finding that 18- to 24-year-olds spend around 12% of their monthly budget on restaurants, takeaways, and fast food, compared with 7% among 25- to 29-year-olds.
“At this age, takeaways fit comfortably around the rush of studying, part-time work, and life on the go, and the appetite for fast food goes well beyond filling a space in the grocery cupboard. Eating out is firmly part of everyday student life now, and grabbing a meal with friends has become a key social occasion in its own right,” he says.
The new restaurant, which held a soft launch last week before officially opening on Tuesday, takes chicken franchise directly onto campus, putting it within easy reach of students between lectures and close to accommodation.
