QUALITALY 139

May 2024 V MAGAZINE of our suggestions are based on respect for the identity of our brands and those of our partners, and on excellence in the service we offer, from the culinary offering to the management, right down to consulting on the furnishings of the dining room and kitchens. Our brands have identity offers that have no common points perceptible to the consumer, who knows, however, that in each one he will find the same quality and the same high level of service and taste experience,” explains Mirko Sanna , General Manager of Fedegroup. As for the ‘Italian uniqueness’ of chain catering in Italy, according to Sanna it consists in ‘creating genuine and authentic experiences, rooted in the best tricolour tradition, made of high quality ingredients prepared skilfully, to be experienced in each restaurant, be it a pop brand or a classic hotel restaurant’. Focused on Milan and with its own identity is also MRG, Milano Restaurant Group , which includes the restaurants Locanda Sempione, il Cestino, the two il Cormorano, Tormaresca, il Tavolino, Osteria delle Corti, Cantina della Vetra, Taverna del Borgo Antico, Locanda alla Scala, Rosso Brera, Trattoria Nautilus, El Bar del Polo and the Michelin-starred l’Alchimia, located in the most strategic areas of Milan, which in 2023 served 430,000 customers. The model is that of the trattoria or Italian restaurant of yesteryear, modern and even sophisticated in its furnishings but warm and cosy, those places where families used to go on Sundays for lunch, so to speak. The cuisine obviously draws on tradition and the selection of ingredients. ‘Our restaurants differ from each other in format and target group; each restaurant has a distinct identity that is emphasised,’ explains CEO and Founder Samuele Serra. ‘Ours is a very cohesive management and our common goal, besides growth, is customer loyalty. We rely a lot on cross- selling between establishments, on getting customers to go around, always offering them new and different experiences, so that each restaurant is remembered. One of the advantages is definitely also the management and efficiency of the staff’. Last but not least, the Accademia Niko Romito project, half diner half bakery of excellence developed years ago at the Castel di Sangro premises and on which Eni has now gambled, which with the Alt - Stazioni del Gusto project intends to open one hundred new outlets in Europe in four years, starting with the main Italian cities. The offer includes products for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and take-away. Our cuisine is a tradition, in short, that is recognised and appreciated throughout the world and which it would be absurd to relinquish to chains, possibly even foreign ones. And perhaps there is also a way out for independents: ‘to remain competitive in the market, independent operators must focus on differentiating elements with respect to chains such as a family atmosphere, more personalised products, and closer interaction with the customer,’ emphasises Fipe in its report. ‘Many people say they choose independent establishments precisely because of the authentic connection they manage to establish with the staff. __________________________________ BOX The synergies of Mercato Centrale Mercato Centrale is a decidedly different and original format, deeply Italian, which is not a chain but brings together independent enterprises in a group that gives them full freedom of operation, while at the same time providing the location, which is almost always central or highly frequented, communication and events on site. Four locations in stations in Milan and Rome, Florence and Turin, with Melbourne and Bolzano opening in 2024 and 2025, works on a very particular model. As the founder and Executive Chairman Umberto Montano explains: ‘I thought of doing something very rare in Italy: creating a system, activating synergies. So I offered the talented ones who could no longer afford premises in the centre the opportunity to work with me. I built the market system, I gave each one of them a project to share with me, the first artisans in Florence were 20, and together we set up the Mercato Centrale which has only one owner because it is the Market that invests but has many people inside who work to produce good things, because each of the activities inside the Market is a business in itself’. Rent is paid according to turnover, which is a great advantage. And it leaves room to focus on quality ‘because contemporary catering is either really good or it’s a trap, it doesn’t make sense’. The customer has changed, he is more demanding, he wants quality but is struggling, so also looks for the low price. The balancing of the scales is not there, but creating synergies in various ways, be it chains or alliances, is one of the keys that could make it possible to face an uncertain and difficult future. __________________________________ AT PAGE 20 FOCUS ON Tuna: a culinary favourite DESPITE THE CRITICAL ISSUES ARISING FROM THE INFLATIONARY CRISIS AND RISING OIL COSTS, TUNA CONTINUES TO PERFORM WELL IN THE MARKET AND IN THE HORECA CHANNEL. ANGELA NEGLIA, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF CALLIPO, OUTLINES THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE SECTOR By Maddalena Baldini It is a sector with a long tradition, a historical heritage that Italy preserves and continues to make use of despite the difficulties that, especially in recent years, have affected the sector. We are talking about the tuna processing sector - including canned fish -, a real asset for the country and for the economic turnaround of the food industry. A broad sector that, in turn, embraces several sub-categories with which the Horeca world (and more) is constantly

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