The Mugg & Bean restaurant at the Festival Mall Shopping Centre in Kempton Park, Johannesburg was on Thursday rocked by a gas explosion that left three staff members seriously injured.
Mugg & Bean is part of JSE-listed quick-service restaurant franchise group Famous Brands (FBR).
The explosion, which left the restaurant badly damaged, occurred at approximately 7:10 on Thursday.
The company said a detailed update regarding the injuries of the three staff members was expected from medical staff in due course, but their condition was not life-threatening.
Several other staff members were also treated for minor injuries, and there was one customer in the store at the time of the incident, but he was unharmed.
“At this point our primary concern is for the well-being of our franchisee's staff. The three injured staff members have been hospitalised and are receiving the best medical attention, and counselling is being offered on site to other staff who were present at the time,” Kevin Hedderwick, CEO of Famous Brands said.
He added that the local fire chief was on site, investigating the cause of the incident, but the company awaited representatives of Afrox, the supplier of gas to the mall.
“Once the fire chief has concluded his investigation his findings will be made available,” Hedderwick said.
Mugg & Bean is a coffee themed restaurant franchise chain, which was founded in 1996 by Ben Filmalter, one of SA's most prominent restaurateurs and a founding member of the South African Restaurant Association.
Other restaurants in Famous Brands' portfolio include, Steers, Wimpy, Debonairs Pizza, FishAways, Tashas, House of Coffees, Brazilian Cafe and Blacksteer. - I-Net Bridge