THREE RIVERS. – April 13 this year was a day of gratitude and joy for Vereeniging’s Four Way Centre when owner Harry Katrakilis, his family, staff and customers celebrated the group’s half centenary. With a history spanning 50 years from 1972 to today, this family-owned business could look back on many years of blessings and well deserved accolades.

The premises on the corner of Genl Hertzog Road and Blackwood Street in Three Rivers accommodates Four Way Kwik Spar, Tops Liquor Store, an ATM, Car Wash, B&R Hardware Store, Stupel & Berman Attorneys and 4 Way Motors Total Filling Station, all with super friendly and helpful staff.

The awards bestowed on Four Way Kwik Spar in the past years testify to the fact that Three Rivers has a store it can be proud of. Vereeniging’s Four Way Kwik Spar has been named Store of the Year seven times in the last ten years and best Kwik Spar for the South Rand Region (Gauteng) in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. Four Way Kwik Spar was also named the National SA Kwik Spar of the Year in 2015 and again in 2020. In 2021 Harry was honoured with the title as Mr Spar South Rand! Apart from his business operations he is also much involved in the local community and Proudly Three Rivers.

The premises was bought by Harry’s father, the late Mr Steve (Stamo) Katrakilis in 1970. In those days the area was still undeveloped and mainly open veld, but Steve, supported by his beloved wife Alexandra, nurtured a dream of developing the premises as a prime business spot. The centre opened its doors on April 13, 1972 as a car dealership, a Total filling station, a roadhouse and a café, named Four Way Superette. That was the beginning of The Four Way Group.

Four Way Superette’s name was changed in 1994 to Four Way Kwik Spar after joining the Spar Group. For Steve, Alexandra and their son, Harry, who officially joined them in the business in 1988, aspects such as customer service, hygiene, freshness, stock rotation and safety were priorities from the start. The Katrakilis family’s dedicated attention to every little aspect of the business stood out in all the areas of assess-ment in the Spar Awards. The store’s management is still known for the same commitment to customer care, hygiene, cleanliness and freshness as top priorities. Customer complaints are taken very seriously and are dealt with promptly. The store’s butchery is legendary for its quality meat, boerewors and world famous biltong, all made from grade A meat supplied by Karan Beef.

Four Way Kwik Spar pasteurises its own milk with zero preservatives and their bakery offers a wide variety of freshly baked breads and rolls, all manufactured with purified filtered water. All the water used in the store is filtered – even their ice is manufactured on site with filtered water. In addition, even the dishes get washed with filtered water. The public can purchase this water which goes through a filtration system of reverse osmosis in bulk on site.

Four Way Kwik Spar today.

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