wagamama adds a new location in Rome to its Italian franchise portfolio

  press release | international openings

wagamama adds a new location in Rome to its Italian franchise portfolio

Issue date | 22 September 2021

Global restaurant brand wagamama has opened the doors to its sixth restaurant in Italy, with a new restaurant located within the Da Vinci shopping village in Rome.

This brings the total wagamama international franchise portfolio to 58 restaurants across 20 territories in Europe and the Middle East and a global restaurant count of 215 across 21 countries.

The restaurant in Rome is managed by wagamama franchise partners in Italy - C&P (Chef Express and Percassi Food & Beverage).  It is housed over 410sqm, with a total of 210 covers, including 90 outdoor covers on the terrace. 

The restaurant menu will include a range of 40 iconic wagamama dishes, already popular its other Italian locations and which are aligned to the brand’s ‘positive eating + positive living’ philosophy. 

Thomas Heier, CEO at wagamama commented: “introducing wagamama to a new audience of food lovers in Rome is an important step in growing our international portfolio and we are delighted that our Italian franchise partners continue to move forward with their expansion programme to grow the brand further in Italy.  We wish them every success with this new location and are delighted to welcome all the new team members into our wagamama international family”.

Cristian Biasoni, CEO at C&P commented, "With this opening we finally inaugurate the entrance of wagamama in central Italy. An arrival expected by many who already know the brand thanks to its international presence and which we are sure will conquer even those who have not yet had the opportunity to try these specialties that are able to transversally satisfy the tastes of all age groups. The choice of this location, the largest among the commercial parks in Italy, and its strategic position near the capital and Leonardo da Vinci Airport, then confirms the company's direction towards the expansion of a brand in which we believe strongly and of which we foresee numerous new openings in the coming years".

wagamama: our story and our food ‘kaizen’, meaning ‘good change’ is the philosophy that sits right at our heart. It shapes every dish we create and pushes us to find better ways in all that we do. We’re restless spirits, forever creating and making things better. We’ve been practising kaizen since 1992, when we opened our first doors in London’s Bloomsbury. Inspired by fast-paced, Japanese ramen bars and a celebration of Asian food, wagamama burst into life. We set out to create a unique way of eating; bringing the fresh, nourishing, flavours of Asia to all.

C&P, controlled by Chef Express, is the company born in 2019 from an agreement with the Percassi Group and Chef Express for the creation of a reference operator in the multi-brand catering offer, dedicated to the sector of Shopping Centers, Shopping Malls, Outlets and Retail Parks with a modern and efficient catering offer that is competitive and diversified across multiple brands. The company operates by licensing the brands of Piadina di Casa Maioli, Caio Antica Pizza Romana and wagamama, with about 15 locations distributed in Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Tuscany. The company has an important development plan for new openings for the next few years.

Chef Express, a subsidiary of the Cremonini Group, generates over 60% of its revenues in the context of concession activities (stations, airports and motorways in Italy, and on board trains abroad): the company is the leader in Italy in railway stations, with outlets in 49 railway stations, it is present in the airport catering sector in 12 Italian airports, and manages 54 refreshment areas on the Italian motorway network and on the main roads. In the on-board train catering market, the company is a leader in Europe with over 140 trains served daily in 5 European countries. In the shopping mall, outlet and retail park channel it operates with the company C&P (JV with the Percassi Group) which, among others, includes the well-known international asian food brand wagamama in its portfolio. Finally, in commercial catering, it controls the casual dining chains Roadhouse Restaurant, Calavera and Billy Tacos, and the Anglo-Saxon chain Bagel Factory.