Brought to you by McCain Foodservice Solutions

Homestyle Italian-inspired dishes and delicious pub fare is what you can expect from La Matta located on iconic Long Street in Cape Town. It’s your go-to for a relaxed evening out on the town with loved ones and homely good food in the bustling CBD. When you dine at La Matta, you aren’t just another customer – you become part of the “famiglia” because nothing brings a family together like good food and a little playful banter!

The joker in their logo speaks to their uniqueness as a restaurant and is a true representation of the values the restaurant embodies: good value for money, flavour-packed food with a much-needed side of fun, and creativity.

“We are a little offbeat and want to create a brand that creates one-of-a-kind experiences with iconic Italian meals and flavours; meals and flavours so good that they create memories that people want to share with their friends and families,” says La Matta.

For Chef Jon Evans, nothing is more important than family. Family serves as the American-born chef’s biggest inspiration. Family may come in different shapes and sizes, but what’s important is that we all celebrate together through a love for good home-style food! That’s really what inspires La Matta’s ethos and menu.

“Restaurants are happy places filled with people wanting to have a good time – that creates a simplicity and openness that, if you do your job correctly, allows you to share in the memorable occasions of your customers.”

La Matta’s southern fried chicken burger is iconic and has been stealing hearts since the dish was first conceptualised. The towering fan favourite was offered up as a tribute to the McCain Foodservice Dishruption Challenge judges and the spunky crisp burger with house-made tangy blue cheese slaw came out triumphant. 

The battle against COVID

The biggest challenge for La Matta was trying to stay afloat and positive, because what is Long Street without the people? It took a village to make the dream work and La Matta was forced to lean hard on shareholders – only through their continued support did they manage to survive.

As a business, La Matta had to evolve and adapt to survive. Delivery platforms became of paramount importance and so did continued loyal support from La Matta devotees. Quality, consistency and customer service along with launching an in-house delivery system became extremely important in the newly adopted business model.

COVID forced about a lot of change and growth, most of it unpleasant but necessary. La Matta’s biggest learning from this challenging time is the importance of resilience and attitude.

“Stick at it – resilience and attitude are the single most important differentiators between those that fail and those that succeed!” says La Matta.

One last fighting chance

The heart of any restaurant is the kitchen and the family unit behind the scenes, and this couldn’t be truer for La Matta. Initiatives like McCain Foodservice Solutions’ Insider Club help to keep restaurants current, motivated in adverse times and inspired to keep fighting, to keep doing what they love. La Matta’s winnings will go towards making kitchen improvements to improve operations so they can reach a broader customer base while still ensuring high-quality, good, homely food. And, by doing so, giving them a fighting chance and the opportunity to make a big impact from a small family-style restaurant.

Read more about the Dishruption challenge and winners here.