Taste of Sicily, a small-batch artisan producer of handmade Mediterranean specialties, is looking to franchise its London-based store concept in the UAE.
Salvatore Romano, one of three partners in Taste of Sicily, was in attendance at Gulfood Manufacturing last month seeking out potential franchisees and distribution partners.
“This is our second year of exhibiting at Gulfood. This is not such an easy market to operate in. We are having difficulty is finding the right distribution partner as they are all principally focused on the price point and we are a quality producer,” says Romano.
Offering high quality Mediterranean cuisine to consumers, restaurants and caterers, Taste of Sicily exports 90% of its produce, to existing markets in Malta, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, France and Austria. “We are now looking to expand into the GCC, and then later into Asia and the USA, targeting fine dining more than HORECA.
“We are set to open our first store in London in the coming months, which combines a retail store, delicatessen, bar and diner, and we want to franchise this concept in Dubai also, given the right partners.”
He adds: “Also, as a product creator, we are open to working with clients to design products for them, under their labels, in an Arabic/Sicilian fusion.”
