Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Bar Expanding in Greater Toronto Area

PHOTO: FAMOSO VIA FACEBOOK

By Kayla Matthews

Hungry Torontonians will soon enjoy one more option for tasty and quick Paesano-American food with the announcement of Famoso Italian Pizzeria + Bar Restaurant franchises in the greater Toronto area.

The franchise-based pizza purveyor already has a strong foothold in Western Canada with plans for growth, adding up to 20 new locations in the next 5 to 6 years.

The company focuses on delivering a comfortable yet refined dining experience with a modern and slightly upscale look and feel, paired with a tried-and-true fresh menu that can be served quickly to hungry guests.

PHOTO: FAMOSO

CHAD (L) AND DEAN (R) LABRECHE OF THE LABRECHE GROUP

PHOTO: FDF BRANDS

Famoso Partners With Toronto Franchise Development Group

Frank Di Benedetto, CEO of FDF Restaurant Brands, the company that owns Famoso, cited Ontario as the focus of the franchise expansion. FDF has also announced seven new locations planned to open before June 30th, 2020 — just under a year's time.

Clearly, the efforts are off to a good start as the company's plan calls for three to four new franchise locations per-year in Western Canada for the next five to six years to meet company goals. Labreche Group, a Toronto-based franchise-development firm will serve as strategic partners to FDF in executing the expansion. The group is lead by the brothers Chad and Dean Labreche, who own and manage the Annex and Waterloo Square Famoso locations currently in operation.

While existing Famoso establishments have all used a similar full-service format, the Labreche Group plans to roll out a "fast-casual" take on the Famoso menu in the form of Famoso Pronto franchises. These will be smaller 1200-1600 square ft. restaurants with offerings derived from Famoso's original menu and a focus on a speedy turnaround. Current Famoso restaurants use a 2500 square ft. model.

Wood Fire and Pomodoro for All

Just how do the Labreches plan to keep the tables full at all these new restaurants? They've got Famoso's famous Pomodoro sauce, which helped Famoso feed scores of hungry Canadians just last year through fundraising efforts, to help draw people in. That alone should be enough to entice many pizza-seeking Torontonians. The Famoso menu is famous for featuring the sauce on various dishes including pasta, not just pizza.

Speaking of pizza, the pies at Famoso are made using a 900-degree-capable bell-shaped oven imported from Italy. Famoso dough uses real ‘00’ Flour and Campania tomatoes to give it that just-right texture that crunches when you bite in, but gets chewy after. Menu offerings range from traditional Margherita to more creative "fusion" pies that express a more Western influence. And you can watch all the pizza-making action at the exposed pizza-prep station.

Of course, when you go out for pizza, there's always room for extra munchies. The Famoso menu is expansive and includes everything from appetizers to fire-grilled sandwiches to soups and salads to meatballs. You can see why the franchise has been so successful — there's something there for anyone. Add to that gelato for dessert and a full bar with rotating craft beers, and no one's going home unsatisfied.

PHOTO: FAMOSO VIA FACEBOOK

PHOTO: FAMOSO VIA FACEBOOK

SLIDESHOW: Swipe for More

FAMOSO’S WATERLOO LOCATION ALL PHOTOS: BUILDIT BY DESIGN

Franchise Opportunities

Famoso uses a franchise model which means that while these plans are fresh, there's room for interested parties to join in the action. FDF and Labreche Group say that the estimated costs of starting a Famoso Italian Pizza + Bar Restaurant lie between $650,000 and $700,000 while the smaller Pronto Franchises are scoped at between $375,000 and $425,000. You can find more information about starting a franchise by looking on their site or emailing partner@famoso.ca. One thing's for sure — it's a great time to be a pizza lover in Toronto.

Kayla Matthews is a researcher, writer and blogger covering topics related to technology, smart gadgets, the future of work and personal productivity. She is the owner and editor of ProductivityTheory.com and ProductivityBytes.com. Previously, Kayla was a senior writer at MakeUseOf and contributing freelancer to Digital Trends. Kayla's work on smart homes and consumer tech has also been featured on Houzz, Dwell, Inman and Curbed. Additionally, her work has appeared on Quartz, PRNewswire, The Week, The Next Web, Lifehacker, Mashable, The Daily Dot, WIRED and others.

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