Little Wing Pizzeria, the Belfast-based neopolitan pizza restaurant concept, is looking for sites in student towns in Ireland and Britain, M&C Report has learnt.
The pizzerias, operated by Northern Ireland’s largest hospitality group Beannchor, recently opened a fifth site in Hollywood, an affluent suburb of Belfast.
Luke Wolsey, operations manager of the family business, told M&C Report: “I think in Northern Ireland there’s room for one - possibly two - more, but we would need to find the right deal that suits us, which is hard now because costs are going up everywhere. Definitely we will continue to look to expand no matter what - whether it’s further afield over the water or down to Dublin.”
Wolsey said he has viewed properties in Dublin and is keen on the city but high rent and rates are often prohibitive.
“We will eventually find the right site; we’re considering Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow, before looking to England.
“We always thought we’d start in London but we’d have to open three very quickly to make it successful. I think we could go to Bath, or cool cities with a large student population and young, successful people. Brighton is another we’ve looked at. I think we can open a few sites before moving to the capital.”
The first Little Wing opened in 2009 in the city centre where it appealed to the student populous.
The restaurants have a strong focus on using locally sourced ingredients, fresh produce and sustainable coffee. In contrast to many pizza offerings, Little Wing has developed a menu that includes healthier choices including ‘skinny’ pizzas and salads to attract customers looking for lighter lunch options.
