The gatsby may have been born in Athlone, but Eerste River can now be proudly called the home of the Great Gatsby.
A Macassar businessman is selling what could possibly be the longest gatsby in the country.
Henrey Joseph, 49, the owner of MCD Pizza and Takeaways in Forest Drive, Eerste River, is the creator of a 2.5 metre-long gatsby, which is taking fast food fans by storm.
Not only do people wonder how to get the gatsby home, but they also want to know how many giembas it can feed.
For those of you who still don’t know, a gatsby is a long breadroll filled with chips, sauces, sometimes salads and a protein, usually steak or viennas.
“I was seated with my wife in a restaurant last year and we were wondering how we can make something that is not expensive but can feed a family,” Henrey tells the Daily Voice.
“Then I had the idea of a gatsby and I started doing it in January.”
Being a huge wrestling fan, he named his gigantic sandwich The Undertaker, adding that they also have a 2m version called the Great Khali.
“I love wrestling, hence the names. After selling my first Great Khali gatsby in January, people loved it and came back for more.
“I then introduced a longer one, The Undertaker, which is a hit among people.”
He adds: “Three people have to carry the gatsby out to the customer and most of my customers use a bakkie to transport it. The food is strictly halaal.”
The polony gatsby is the cheapest and sells for R250.
A full house Undertaker which contains steak, cheese, tomato, slap chips, lettuce and a sauce costs R545.
Henrey says it takes only 15 minutes to prepare, and feeds about 16 people, depending on whether they were giembas or not.
“I use about 5kg of potatoes per gatsby and there is a bakery which specially bakes the rolls for me, as it is difficult to find one that size.
“I am struggling with packaging now because there are no wrappers which are long enough for The Undertaker.”
He says he sells the most gatsbys on a Friday, when an average of 15 people order one.
Customers come from as far as Mossel Bay to try out his gatsby and they leave with smiles on their faces.
And after finishing this massive dite, you might just need an undertaker!
velani.ludidi@inl.co.za