Italian café and food shop operator Antonio Carluccio has announced an ambitious expansion programme for his eponymous chain of outlets, with six to eight new sites planned to open this year.
First will be a property in Fulham, London, on 26 April at an old Fuller's pub site, with a second riverside café to follow a month later at the new London Putney Wharf development.
This is expected to add 50 to 60 new staff to a current total in excess of 500.
All new openings will be funded with cash generated by the business, although managing director Simon Kossoff admitted that pursuing private equity in the future could not be ruled out entirely.
"We simply have no need to do so at the moment," said Kossoff, "as we can continue to expand at the rate we want to using our own resources. There's no pressure on us."
Turnover at the company increased by 55% year-on-year to £19.7m, while operating profit doubled to £1.9m.
The café chain operates predominantly within the M25, and has a short-term goal to grow from 13 to 25 sites. Kossoff added that he had little doubt the Carluccio's concept would be a success if it were launched in Edinburgh or Manchester, but the company would focus on the London area for now.
It will also continue to invest in staff training through its chef school initiative, Scuola per Cuochi, which it launched last March in conjunction with Westminster Kingsway College in London.
The school, which has already produced 24 basic-course graduates, will shortly offer an advanced chef programme. The company aims to run three 14-week courses this year - typically with 10 chefs on each - at a cost of £45,000.
Carluccio's has also opened a training kitchen at its property in Islington, London.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 4 - 10 March 2004