„The franchising rights are held by CHOCO FRANCHISE SRL, a newly established entity in Italy, fully owned by US Food Network Italy,” reads the company’s report.
The Group plans to develop the franchise on the Italian market, with the first unit to be opened in the first half of 2025, after an investment of approximately 500k euros.
The Group estimates circa 4 new openings per year over the following 5 years, initially focusing on the northern regions of Italy, but is also considering the Romanian market, as the agreement signed with Gioia Group also covers the local market.
Cioccolatitaliani currently operates a network of 43 units, most of them located in Italy, and several in the Balkans, Middle East and in North Africa.
In 2023, Cioccolatitaliani catered to over 6 million customers, serving over 4.5 million cups of coffee, more than 350,000 chocolate lingos and over 3.7 million gelato cones.
The Cioccolatitaliani product range includes a variety of items, such as artisanal ice cream prepared with different flavors and high-quality ingredients, chocolate lingos, pralines, and alternatives made from the renowned Cacao Fino de Aroma, as well as gourmet coffee, freshly baked Italian pastries, crepes, and waffles served with chocolate-flavored ice cream and various toppings.
Sphera Group has a RON1.6 billion capitalization. Since the start of the year, its shares have climbed by 58%.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)