Briatore, it will be another Crazy Pizza summer from Italy to Miami
[ad_1]
Last summer’s catchphrase was the controversy over the exaggerated prices of Crazy Pizza, Flavio Briatore’s latest creation, complete with barbs from the authentic pizza makers of Naples. The acrobatic VIP had the idea of launching “glamorous” pizzerias around the world in London. Is it possible that there is no Italian brand of pizza on an international scale? From there, the launch of “Crazy Pizza”, a place that serves “popular” food but in a luxurious setting.
The game plan
The character is a celebrity, from the years in Formula One with Scuderia Benetton, to the TV program “The Apprentice”, but to move the galaxy, including the famous Twiga and Billionaire for a total of 20 clubs from Montecarlo to Dubai, there he is a man behind the scenes. His name is Francesco Costa: he is Briatore’s alter ego, even in his lifestyle, very far from the spotlight and worldliness. For over ten years – the two met, again coincidentally, in London – he is the partner of Majestas, the lead company with a recent name after a restructuring, equally divided 50/50 between the two. The recipe is to combine the fun, which has always been associated with the name of Briatore, with the quality of the food. Fifteen years ago when the first trendy international places, such as the Buddha Bar in Paris, appeared, the warning on the menu was that the place was known for its atmosphere (not for the cuisine). «A sort of unwritten rule in hospitality is that trendy and cool places serve bad food and that places where you eat well are boring – begins the shy entrepreneur -. We wanted to break this dogma with the idea of luxury dining»: Sumosan-Twiga on Sloane Avenue in London, for example, is a Briatore-style venue but also renowned for its excellent sushi. Opening clubs, in the era of the «Movida Economy», is (relatively) easy; the difficult thing is not to lose money: «Majestas is a company and as such it must make a profit» says Costa, rattling off remarkable numbers for a sector, the restaurant industry, where almost everyone is in the red perennially. Last year the Briatore-Costa duo collected 78.8 million euros, of which 60 million from the two “flagship” venues (25 million for each brand), bringing home a margin of 25%: all “debt-free because we use cash to spend investments in new openings».
The holiday factor
Summer is upon us, the holiday season is looming and Costa, born and raised in Rome, with a past in Western Union, draws future plans. The eight Crazy Pizzas in Milan, Rome and around the world will become 15 (many in franchises, which will reduce the cost for the parent company). «To build a pizza brand abroad, you must first be strong in Italy – he observes – then the next step will be the landing of the Billionaire in the United States, in Miami». Choice at first sight inflated and trivial, but daughter of the global industry trend. Today “the large numbers in hospitality come from seaside and holiday resorts, rather than from the metropolis”. Psychology has a lot to do with it: “When they’re on vacation, people are more relaxed, they tend to spend more, they indulge in some luxury,” notes Costa. The proof is that Majestas’ most successful venue is the Billionaire in Dubai, inside the Taj Hotel.
The 2023 goal
In the wake of these trends, the newfound tourism boom and new openings, Costa expects Majestas to reach 100 million in turnover this year. Is it possible to do it with pizza, even if it costs 50 Euros? “Last year’s controversies finally brought us a lot of publicity. And then Flavio is right: what do people eat in the end? Pizza. Everybody likes it”.
[ad_2]
Source link
