San Carlo accelerates growth of £22m restaurant empire
BIRMINGHAM-based Italian restaurant chain San Carlo is planning the launch of its sixth UK restaurant with the opening of a new venue in Leeds in August.
The £22m turnover business, launched by CEO Carlo Di Stefano in 1992 is also rolling out a chain of ‘Signor Sassi’ branded restaurants in 22 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, after reaching an agreement with franchise operators Americana Group last year.
Two have already opened in Kuwait and other branches are planned for Dubai and Cairo during 2010/11.
Speaking to TheBusinessDesk.com, Mr Di Stefano revealed his Manchester restaurant is taking an average of £160,000 per week, and he is now planning to open a second restaurant in Manchester at an undisclosed location.
The formula works elsewhere too, he claimed, with revenues doubling at the iconic Signor Sassi in Knightsbridge which he acquired three years ago.
“People looked down their noses when these people from Birmingham arrived,” he said, “but we took takings from £40,000 a week to £80,000 in a place that had been open for 30 years.”
Mr Di Stefano, 66, puts his success down to an obsession for fine food and an avoidance of the ‘chain’ mentality which he says leads to blandness amongst the larger restaurant groups. “Each of my places has a chef or team of chefs who add their own special touches to the menu,” he said.
A family business, San Carlo’s launch in Leeds is being overseen by Mr Di Stefano’s son Marcello, while his other son Allessandro is running the group’s restaurant in Liverpool. Mr Di Stefano senior runs the growing empire from above the original restaurant in Birmingham’s Temple Street.
San Carlo has bought a prime site in South Parade, Leeds, in the heart of the city’s legal and business quarter for the 140-seat restaurant scheduled to open in August.
The privately-owned business employs 400 staff across the UK and has said its expansion programme is likely to continue with the search for suitable sites in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
