Pizza Capers founder Anthony Russo has officially joined forces with the Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers business.
Russo sold his pizza business in 2012 to Retail Food Group after growing the brand to 120 outlets in 11 years.
He has now stepped back into the food franchise arena to assist Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers co-founders Ben Cleary-Corradini and Theo Roduner scale their business.
Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers will leverage learning from Pizza Capers
“We are extremely excited to have Anthony join us, his mentorship over the years we’ve known him has been on point,” said Cleary-Corradini. “His experience in scaling up hospitality businesses will help guide us in the right direction in growing Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers from a local favourite to become a leading brand in the Italian quick service restaurant sector across Australia.”
The Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers produce their fresh gnocchi and sauces in Everton Hills and manage in-house delivery to their five restaurant locations across Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney.
Newtown and Southport are corporate stores; South Bank, Paddington and New Farm are franchised.
“The business strategy is to convert all remaining corporate stores into franchise locations so we can focus on growth and supporting our franchisees,” Cleary-Corradini said.
The plan is for at least five new stores by June 2024. This expansion will then double the following year, with a further 10 added in 2025 to achieve a 30-store footprint by 2026.
Russo has acquired a minority stake in the brand’s parent company and will be a ‘hands on investor’ focused on driving the growth strategy.
Russo will focus on initially growing the brand across Southeast Queensland before taking the niche restaurant further afield.
‘I love the concept and the brand they have created and believe there is a lot of room for growth particularly as the market seems to be moving towards the quality, affordability and convenience that Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers offers,” he said.
Franchise investment starts at $50,000+GST for the franchise fee plus fit out costs. These vary from $50,000 for existing restaurant locations to $300,000.
In 2021 the Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers was one of four finalists in a Launch your Franchise competition.
