Mzansi celebrates: Scooters Pizza's comeback sparks childhood nostalgia

Who can forget Scooters Pizza?  Those boxes with way too much crust and that smell that could turn even the most committed dieter into a liar.

Those bright red and yellow signs lighting up every corner, the smell of melted cheese floating through the suburbs, and those scooters zooming around like they were late for a wedding. 

Now the iconic South African pizza chain is back, ready to reclaim our hearts (and stomachs) nearly ten years after vanishing like your favourite DVD rental.

The first rebranded store opened on Tuesday, 21 October, in Melville, Johannesburg, and it feels like your old flame just texted, “Hey, stranger.”

Scooters Pizza launched in 2000 thanks to Carlo Gonzaga, then CEO of Taste Holdings, and became an instant hit.  They promised delivery in 39 minutes or your order was free.

Ja, and y’all thought Checkers Sixty60 invented time pressure. Scooters had us tracking the clock like it was a national sport.

By 2006, Scooters had over 100 stores across Mzansi - because who doesn’t love the thrill of maybe scoring free dinner? But things took a turn when Taste Holdings signed a deal with Domino’s Pizza.

Slowly, the Scooters name disappeared, the stores got converted, and by 2016, the beloved brand was officially liquidated. Domino’s flopped, Taste Holdings left the food game, and we were left with memories and microwaved regret.

But when Scooters dropped a comeback video online, the comments were pure gold.

Millennials came crawling out of the woodwork, reminiscing about the good old days when your weekend plan was simple: Mr Video and Scooters Pizza.

You know the drill, your parents piling you into the car with your sibling, cousin or friend, heading to Mr Video to rent a movie (after arguing about whether you’ve already watched "Shrek 2" too many times), then grabbing a stukkie (piece) pizza from Scooters to top it off.

@🫧🧿 Tayla 🇿🇦 commented: "The nostalgia of getting Scooters pizza and going to Mr. Video on a Friday night 😭😭."

That was the height of middle-class luxury. The smell of garlic rolls and DVD covers still lives rent-free in our memories. Ah, the simpler days.

And let’s not forget the Scooters menu itself, thick bases, those dangerously good chicken mayo pizzas, and the garlic rolls that could start family fights if someone took the last one. 

@Panda.monium's comment brought up another memory: "Bring back Something Fishy bathong 😭"

Another household name that still makes taste buds tingle and hearts ache with nostalgia.

This iconic South African fast-food chain was the go-to spot for families craving a seafood meal without breaking the bank.

Scooters comeback just opened a flood of foodie memories and made us realise how many of these nostalgic restaurants were basically the backdrop of our childhoods.

Now, with a fresh look and a new Melville store ready to serve, Scooters seems determined to reclaim its spot in our pizza-loving hearts.

Whether they’ll bring back that 39-minute delivery dare remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: Mzansi’s ready to relive those Saturday nights, one pizza slice at a time.