Franco Manca, the pizza chain led by David Page, the former chief executive of Pizza Express, and Italian chef Giuseppe Mascoli, is to open a further six sites in London over the next 18 months and is exploring options to franchise the concept overseas, M&C Report understands.
The group, which will open its sixth site later this month in Tottenham Court Road, is understood to be in talks to acquire the Draft House in Lordship Lane, Dulwich and a further unit in South Kensington for planned openings in the first half of next year.
It is also looking at taking the brand to places like Venice, Crete and Athens under a franchise/joint venture agreement.
The group is believed to have seen a 50% uplift in year-on-year like-for-like sales.
Its upcoming opening in Tottenham Court Road will be the only opened under franchise in the UK due to the length of the lease it has signed, five years.
Page’s new vehicle Fulham Shore has invested c£250k a new company to open and operate the site at 98 Tottenham Court Road.
A first opening under the newly incorporated, wholly owned subsidiary of Fulham Shore called FM98 Limited has entered into a franchise agreement with Franco Manca 2 UK Ltd to operate a Franco Manca restaurant, initially for five years, in London’s Tottenham Court Road.
Franco Manca is a Neapolitan Pizzeria, specialising in sourdough pizzas baked in a traditional wood-burning brick oven. There are currently five Franco Manca restaurants in Brixton, Chiswick, Clapham, Balham and Stratford.
Davis Coffer Lyons is currently marketing the Draft House in East Dulwich.
