Top 5 Italian Food and Drink Franchises in the UK
Alice Tuffery, writer
Published at 24/03/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min
Did you know that Italian is the world’s most popular cuisine? If you want to take advantage of our mutual love of pizza, pasta and other delicious treats, read on…
YouGov’s recent claim that Italian is the world’s favourite cuisine demonstrates just how lucrative food franchises offering the tasty food options can be. Here in the UK, 91 percent of people like Italian food. So, why not start a business selling Italian food and drink?
Pizza, pasta, red wine… what’s not to love? The popular Mediterranean diet is characterised by five key elements that Brits appreciate in their food: simplicity, affordability, quality ingredients, healthiness and flavour.
As a result, retailers and restaurants are catering to our love of Italian food. Supermarket shelves are stocked with an increasingly diverse range of Italian ingredients, and Italian restaurants are becoming all the more common on UK high streets. But what Italian food and drink franchises are there?
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Top 5 Italian food and drink franchises in the UK
If you’re thinking about opening an Italian restaurant, take a look below at some of the best franchises in the sector. Let’s start with classic pizza franchises.
1. Fireaway
Fireaway puts the fast in fast food. This pizza franchise offers its customers authentic, Italian, stone-fired pizza in just three minutes. But just because they’re served in record time doesn’t mean the pizzas compromise on taste or quality. The business launched in 2016 and has since opened 17 stores in the London area.
How to become a Fireaway franchisee: Learn more and get the ball rolling at Fireway franchise.
How much you need to invest upfront: To become a Fireaway franchisee, you need to make a minimum investment of £30,000 and a total investment of £49,000. The expected revenue after two years is an impressive £500,000.
What you get for your investment: Fireaway will take care of marketing and supply the most talented chefs from Italy to make sure that the brand’s high standards are maintained across every franchise location. You’ll also benefit from the franchise’s connections with established delivery platforms like Just Eat and Deliveroo.
2. NKD Pizza
This Italian food and drink franchise serves up healthy and tasty pizzas made from its signature 10-grain dough. It first launched in the UK in 2015, when US restaurants were relocated to London, Edinburgh and Dubai. Its business model has proved successful across the globe and it’s now looking for UK franchisees to help continue its impressive growth.
How to become a NKD Pizza franchisee: If you want to get a slice of the action with this pizza delivery franchise, register your interest at NKD Pizza franchise.
How much you need to invest upfront: You’ll need to have access to a minimum investment of £180,000 to be accepted onto the franchise programme. After two years, you can expect to make a revenue of up to £750,000.
What you get for your investment: You will receive full training, 24/7 support and state-of-the-art marketing tools. You’ll also benefit from a fully managed, mobile-optimised website, online ordering platform and social media page.
A firm favourite 91 percent of Brits like Italian food.
3. Bella Italia
Moving on to Italian cuisine in general, Bella Italia is British high street staple. With a recognisable image and more than 40 years of industry experience, Bella Italia is a hugely popular brand among franchisees.
Customers flock to the restaurant for its delicious hand-stretched pizza and De Cecco pasta, which is made using high-quality grains and imported directly from Italy. The brand now has more than 100 restaurants serving up tasty Italian dishes across the UK, Europe and beyond and is looking for investors to develop its network.
How to become a Bella Italia franchisee: Franchisees must possess the necessary skills to run a branch of such a recognisable and popular restaurant chain. You should also have a good network of contacts, a strong track record in the food and drink industry and have the motivation to take the business to the next level. Find out more about getting involved, Bella Italia franchise.
How much you need to invest upfront: Investors must be able to put £700,000 into their new business.
What you get for your investment: Bella Italia does not leave you in the dark when it comes to setting up your business. Franchisees will be able to rely on access to an operations portal and a comprehensive training package to ensure that the business runs at maximum efficiency. What’s more, Bella Italia will also provide a dedicated support team to assist franchisees throughout their franchising journey.
>> Read more:
- Find a Location for Your Restaurant
- How to Get Funding for Your Restaurant
- Regulations and Licences Required to Open a Restaurant
- Understanding Your Target Market for Your Restaurant
- Hiring Employees for Your Restaurant
- Choosing a Concept for Your Restaurant
4. Wolf
This franchise’s business model caters to the demand for affordable food that can be prepared quickly and eaten on the go. Wolf has been in operation since 2015 and offers healthy Italian street food made from locally sourced ingredients. Wolf prides itself on its high-quality offering; for example, all meat is bought from farms that adhere to high animal welfare standards and marinated for at least 24 hours.
Also, Wolf focuses on providing food that eliminates the high levels of carbohydrates and saturated fats that are often associated with Italian cuisine. Busy Brits are able to choose from a selection of nutritious, Italian-inspired dishes that can be eaten in, taken away or delivered.
How to become a Wolf franchisee: Find out more and get the process started at Wolf franchise.
How much you need to invest upfront: Investors can choose to be a standard franchisee or a master franchisee, but a total investment of £200,000 is required to launch a Wolf outlet.
What you get for your investment: The Italian food franchise was created with the franchisee in mind. New franchises demand low levels of skill but are high-quality operations, so that franchisees can sell competitively priced Italian street food from the get-go. In addition to this, strong branding, a four-week intensive training programme, ongoing store support and a marketing plan uniquely developed for the franchise’s specific territory will equip franchisees with all the necessary tools to flourish in this competitive industry.
5. Veeno
Who needs Italian food when you can drink Italian wine? Veeno aims to provide a ‘gateway to Italian culture’ and has spent the last few years setting up Italian-style wine-cafés around the country.
This gives customers the chance to sample the authentic Italian experience of ‘Aperitivo’ - the ritual of drinking, nibbling on food and relaxing after work. And, despite only being established in the UK in 2013, Veeno’s unique concept has been widely accepted by a large pool of customers.
How to become a Veeno franchisee: Veeno has big plans. It aims to bring its Italian experience to Ireland, Scandinavia and the Far East, demonstrating the ambition of the team behind the rapidly expanding brand. When you join, you’ll be responsible for finding a great location for your new business in a busy area, which Veeno must approve to ensure maximum profitability.
How much you need to invest upfront: Prospective franchisees should be able to fund start-up costs ranging from £75,000 up to £100,000. However, this franchise is all about flexibility and is enthusiastic to help investors who might not yet have managed to obtain the funds to open a new franchise. Veeno will work with investors to help break down barriers to investment and can offer a range of different investment options and packages depending on the location of the proposed site.
What you get for your investment: New franchisees can look forward to completing Veeno’s comprehensive training programme and taking a trip to the business’ family vineyard in Sicily. There, you’ll learn about the company’s roots and how its wines are created.
Become an Italian food and drink connoisseur
If you’re interested in setting up your own Italian restaurant, you can find out more by clicking on the links below:
Alice Tuffery, writer