THE team behind Pinto Mexican Kitchen is preparing to launch a pizzeria targeting casual diners after selling the South American food business to a rival chain.
Barburrito has bought Pinto four years after the operation was established with backing from Mario Gizzi and Tony Conetta, who are shareholders in the Glasgow-based Di Maggio’s restaurants business.
Mr Gizzi said team members are looking forward to opening a new pizza-focused outlet called Tutto Matto in Edinburgh at the end of this month following a £300,000 investment.
The food and drink veterans are confident about the prospects for the new venture after getting an offer they felt was too good to refuse for Pinto.
“We actually weren’t interested in selling,” said Mr Gizzi. “We had a cup of coffee with them and we ended in a situation where it was a win for them and us.”
The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Established with Paul Sloan and Calum MacLachlainn, Pinto achieved success after focusing on the fast-growing market to supply “street food” such as filled burrito wraps for people who want an affordable quick meal.
The business has five outlets across Glasgow and Edinburgh and annual sales of around £3.5m.
Mr Gizzi and colleagues will target a similar kind of market with Tutto Matto.
“It’s going to be fast, casual dining, inexpensive and very trendy,” said Mr Gizzi.
The business will serve pizzas in 32 different flavours.
The first outlet will open opposite the Festival Theatre on Edinburgh’s Nicolson Street at the end of this month.
Asked if a chain of Tutto Matto outlets might be in prospect, Mr Gizzi said:
“It always starts as a one-off. If they are successful we have the ability to roll them out.”
Mr Gizzi noted the four investors have been pleased with the success of Topolabamba, the Mexican bar and restaurant they opened on Glasgow’s St Vincent Street in June last year, following a £400,000 investment.
They are completing legal arrangements regarding a site for a Topolabamba in Edinburgh.
Di Maggio's is the largest independent restaurant chain in Scotland. The Di Maggio’s Restaurant group also operates restaurants under the Cafe Andaluz, Amarone, and Barolo brands.
The takeover of Pinto forms part of a big push for growth in Scotland by Barburrito, which is based in Manchester.
The company’s Scots chief executive Morgan Davies described the deal as transformational.
Backed by the Business Growth Fund, Barburrito expects the acquisition will help it increase turnover to more than £15m in the year to March 2016, from £8.3m last year.
The deal will allow Barburrito to increase its number of outlets to 17 from 12. Mr Davies has set an initial target of 25 but thinks 50 would be reasonable.
Barburrito was found in Manchester in 2005 by Mr Davies and Paul Kilpatrick, both of whom previously worked as management consultants.
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