San Carlo plans more Cicchetti outlets

ITALIAN restaurant chain San Carlo plans to roll out its tapas-style Cicchetti brand in Birmingham and London.

The first 100-seat Cicchetti opened in Manchester in November and Marcello Distefano, the son of the group’s founder Carlo, said he was now searching for possible sites in the two cities.

“We’re looking to expand across the UK,” he told TheBusinessDesk.com. “We’ve been working on it and now we’re at the stage where we’re quite happy with the concept.”

He hopes to have secured premises by the end of the year. “Even though it’s the most competitive market we think there’s a lot of room for quality Italian product.”

The business also runs the Signor Sassi brand, which it is rolling out in 22 overseas locations in a franchise agreement with the Kuwait-based Americana Group.

The £22m turnover business, launched in Birmingham by Carlo Distefano in 1992, now has six San Carlo restaurants including one off Deansgate in Manchester and another in Liverpool which opened 18 months ago. It added Leeds-based Flying Pizza to its portfolio in February after buying it out of administration.

San Carlo Cicchetti takes its name from the small plate dishes typically served in cicchetti bars in Venice.