Pizza? Pasta? Perfect!

 
This is where Spanish people enjoy real Italian food: At La Tagliatella authentic product quality is a core element. Whether pasta, pizza, sauces or desserts, all items distributed to the close to 100 outlets are handmade according to traditional Italian recipes in the company's central kitchen. The warm and homely restaurant interiors supply a genuine dining atmosphere.
 
"We provide a fine dining experience at casual dining prices and service levels with the simplicity of a QSR kitchen," restaurant developer and president of Restauravia Food Steven K. Winegar revealed La Tagliatella's secret at the 10th European Foodservice Summit in Zurich.
 

 
How does it work? A fully integrated and vertical system allows for consistently high product quality on a system wide basis and at comparably lower expenses. At the same time, it guarantees highest customer satisfaction. "Once the client tries, the likelihood of return is almost 100%," says one Andalusian franchisee. Sales numbers confirm the concept's popularity: 35% of all stores boast a turnover above €1.5 m and 30% make €1-1.5 m.
 
La Tagliatella was launched in 2001 succeeding two other Italian restaurant brands, which today are all considered part of the same chain: Trastevere, the pioneer trademark which first opened in 1985 (currently four operating restaurants), and Il Pastificco introduced in 1999 (six outlets). The three brands were acquired by Restauravia Food in 2006. "In the three years since, we have added 60 new restaurants and plan to add another 15-20 more in 2010," Winegar said. Today, the three concepts total 95 restaurants. La Tagliatella is the only franchised formula with 75 of 85 outlets operated by 48 licensees. The company is known to be actively searching for an acquisition of another brand as well and to add to its portfolio that includes 27 KFC restaurants.
 
La Tagliatella, Trastevere and Il Pastificcio share major key elements:

1. superior quality Italian foods encompassing more than 400 combinations of pastas and sauces, antipasti, salads, lasagnes, cannelloni, and more than 20 varieties of oven-baked pizza,
2. spectacular interior design characterized by woods and warm colors, heavy detailing (printed and fabric lampshades, old-style mirrors and picture frames with black-and-white pictures, décor and wooden carvings etc.),
3. an open pizza oven area. The menus have been designed to be fully enjoyed family style, meaning that each dish contains an ample portion meant to be shared.

 
Incidentally, not only the recipes but also the ingredients are authentic: "Our purchasing department travels to the furthest corners of Italy to gather the best flavours and textures in situ," underlined Winegar. 70% of materials (essentially all products other than fresh vegetables) are imported from Italy: Gran Padano cheese from the Po Valley , ricotta from Il Piamonte region, mortadella from Bologna. Most items are purchased directly from the producer.
 
www.trastevere.es
 

 
| 3 February 2010 | Katrin Wissmann |