In the new storytelling series, founder Natasha Sideris answers real questions, giving guests a behind-the-scenes look at the people, places and stories that have shaped the brand over the past two decades.
More than two decades after opening its first café in Johannesburg, tashas is telling its untold stories with the launch of Just Ask Tash – a new monthly storytelling series in which founder Natasha Sideris answers the questions guests have always wanted to ask, sharing the stories behind the food, the spaces and the people that have shaped the brand.
Built on the philosophy of beautiful food, stunning environments and engaging personal service, tashas has always been about more than what’s on the plate. While a golden thread runs through every café, each one is inspired by a different place or moment in time, reflected in both its menu and design. Just Ask Tash invites guests behind the brand, revealing the stories behind the dishes they love, the spaces they’ve come to know and the people who have shaped tashas since it first opened its doors in Johannesburg in 2005.
The concept is simple. Each month, Natasha answers a selection of questions submitted by guests. In tashas cafés across South Africa, diners will receive a question card alongside the condiments early in their meal, inviting them to write down something they’ve always wanted to know before handing it back to their waiter. Online, guests can also submit questions via direct message, comments or weekly Just Ask Tash Instagram Stories. Selected questions will then be answered in a series of short films shared across all tashas Instagram and YouTube channels.
Many of the questions naturally centre around the three pillars that have always defined the brand: the food, the spaces and the people. From the much-loved Chicken Pot Pie and the inspiration behind the distinctive interiors to Natasha’s own journey into hospitality, each episode reveals another piece of the story that has made tashas one of South Africa’s most recognisable café brands.
Every café tells its own story
The series also shines a light on one of the elements that makes the brand unique: its menus. While every tashas café offers the much-loved classic all-day menu, each location also features its own Inspired menu, which is a curated collection of dishes influenced by the neighbourhood, culture and character of the place it calls home.
“Every tashas shares the same classic all-day menu, and then each café builds a menu of its own, inspired by the place it lives in,” says Jill Okkers, Culinary Director for Tashas Group. “We always start with the place, not the plate.”
“The drinks are part of the same story, never an afterthought,” adds Krystian Hordejuk, Beverage Director for Tashas Group. “Whenever a café has its own Inspired menu, the drinks evolve alongside it, reflecting the same sense of place.”
“For years our guests have asked me the most wonderful questions, and I’ve always wanted a proper way to answer them,” says Natasha Sideris, Founder & CEO of Tashas Group. “Just Ask Tash gives me the opportunity to sit down, share the stories behind what we do, and reveal some of the moments we’ve never spoken about before. I have a feeling the best stories are still to come.”
Launching as Tashas Group continues its international expansion across South Africa, the UAE, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, with Greece next on the horizon. Just Ask Tash is a natural next step following on from the brand’s twentieth anniversary celebrations that happened in 2025.Ultimately, the invitation is a simple one: if you’ve ever wondered about the story behind tashas, now is the time to ask.