Carluccio’s, the Neil Wickers-led concept, is to follow YO! Sushi and the Azzurri Group into the grab and go market with the launch of a “quick-service version” format Via Carluccio’s.
According to The Times, Via Carluccio’s will make its debut in London at the end of next month in Tottenham Court Road and is described as “a quick-service variation of the brand, offering restaurant-quality food for people on the move”.
Wickers told the newspaper that the first Via Carluccio’s would target local workers, before a further three or four opened across the capital. The average cost of developing the sites will be about 40% of the cost of a fully-fledged Carluccio’s.
From 7am Via Carluccio’s will serve breakfast dishes including borlotti bean pots topped with a poached egg, egg frittatine wrapped in pancetta, jumbo oats porridge with fig jam from Campania and warm panettone with chocolate hazelnut filling. It also will serve coffee, tea and soft drinks.
At lunchtime, diners will be able to choose from a selection of salads, antipasti and sandwiches made with ciabatta and focaccia, or can pay £5 to £6 to fill a “mix-and-match” box with pasta, pizza and salad.
Wickers told The Times that Via Carluccio’s was a natural brand extension for the company, particularly as it had successfully tried out grab-and-go counters at two of its London restaurants, in Canary Wharf and Market Place in Marylebone.
Wickers said: “We are entering the growing grab-and-go market with one of the strongest casual dining brands. It will be differentiated by offering restaurant-quality food using Italian products to Antonio’s recipe.”
Last week, chairman Simon Kossoff told M&C that the group was its reviewing further growth opportunities to aid its next stage of development as it nears 100 sites in the UK.
Kossoff told M&C: “We are currently exploring what we will be the next area of growth for the business. For example years back transport hubs weren’t seen as an area of growth, but they certainly are now, where is the next one?”
