Italian gelato brand Amorino has targeted growing its UK estate to 100 locations by 2030.
The brand this week opened its 35th site here – tying in nicely with the tennis currently taking place just down the road by launching in the Wimbledon Quarter development in Wimbledon, south London.
It also recently secured a site in Newcastle’s Grainger Street for its north east debut and will open on London’s Tottenham Court Road this summer.
Hubert Attali, the UK master franchisor for Amorino, said: “I started my career in IT and banking, but 17 years ago, I made an unexpected shift: from tech to gelato. After many years of friendship with Cristiano Sereni, co-founder of Amorino, he offered me the opportunity to bring the brand to the UK. I moved from Paris to London and launched the first shop.
Today, we’ve grown to 35 locations, aiming for 45 by the end of this year and 100 by 2030.
This journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of so many people: our franchise partners; the strong and dedicated Amorino UK team; the Amorino France team, for their ongoing trust and collaboration; our solicitors, builders and everyone behind the scenes who helped bring each location to life; and most importantly, our thousands of daily customers – thank you for your loyalty, enthusiasm, and love for gelato.
We’re currently looking for new franchise partners across the UK to join us in the next phase of growth.”
The Wimbledon store will be operated by franchisee Sailesh Lakhiani, who last year signed a three-store development agreement for south west London and Surrey.
Amorino co-owner Paolo Benassi said: “Ciao Wimbledon! It’s time to put down the rackets and take a gourmet break. Our brand new Amorino store has opened its doors in Wimbledon. An ideal stop for athletes and supporters to combine the passion for sport with the elegance of our ice cream creations.
Congratulations to Sailesh Lakhiani for this great opening and congratulations to all the teams who contributed to the realisation of this project, including our English partner, Hubert Attali.”
Last month, Attali said after securing the Newcastle site, Scotland “will be next” for Amorino’s expansion plans here.
