The L'Osteria restaurant chain, founded in 1999 by Friedemann Findeis and Klaus Rader, which today has 190 locations, is now beginning its development in France, with the recent opening of an establishment in Paris. This expansion is part of a strategy aimed at strengthening the brand's presence in France and continuing its European conquest. Objective of the channel: to share Italy with as many people as possible.
While the official inauguration of the first L'Osteria restaurant in Paris is scheduled for November 21, the establishment has already been serving its customers since October 31. “A break-in period before ramping up in the coming weekss”, indicates Ugo Garcia, expansion manager France, to, he says, give the 30 employees time to take stock of the challenge: installing this new standard bearer of Italian cuisine in the capital. And for this, the founders have not done things by halves: this first Parisian address covers no less than 710 m² spread over three levels. Located between 27 rue Aubry-le-Boucher and 20 rue de la Reynie, this crossing establishment offers. a generous and elegant space, mixing modernity and vintage, with an open kitchen, a central bar and 189 seats, enough to offer a setting faithful to the codes of the chain of German origin, which has 190 restaurants in Europe (number d). average unit sales of nearly €2.8 million). Velvet, marble, wood and brass: the noble materials combine and mingle to create not only a cozy, modern and warm atmosphere, but also a place faithful to the DNA of the house and its values.
A rise based on a strong corporate culture
The story of L'Osteria begins in 1999 in Nuremberg. Friedemann and Klaus, regulars of this Italian restaurant very popular with locals, decided to buy it to develop the concept. The success of this “nice local Italian” encourages them to think bigger. The two partners, who already had solid experience in developing networks – they were notably shareholders in the Vapiano chain – wish to once again share their love of Italy, its terroirs and its products. The initial success encouraged them to deploy: Rosenheim, Regensburg and Munich… Then in 2011, it was the exit from the territory with Austria as a master franchise and the multiplication of locations in Germany (they have 120). This will be followed by the creation of the Pastio N°12 laboratory in Nuremberg and then other European countries: Switzerland, England, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Luxembourg. The Osteria is intended to be the expression of a place of lively exchange and sharing, with strong values: authentic Italian cuisine, quality ingredients, pasta made “home” in the group's laboratory, roasted coffee (Bar Italiana) by their care and above all a generosity on the plate. The menu bears witness to this: it offers no less than 25 pizzas, 18 pastas, 9 salads, all classified into “carne”, “verde” or “mare” categories, accompanied by a nice choice of antipasti, desserts and wines. , of which almost 50% comes from the group's vineyards. Generosity and freedom are not empty words at L'Osteria: thin crust pizzas 45 cm in diameter, plates of gourmet pastas and nearly 35 toppings to choose from to personalize your recipe. And for those who are hesitating between two pizzas, no problem: you can order two half-pizzas of your choice. With an annual consumption of 900,000 liters of wine, 3,300 tonnes of flour, 11 million balls of dough, and between 600 and 1,200 customers welcomed per day in each restaurant, L'Osteria has established itself as a major player in Italian catering in Europe, with a high loyalty rate, driven in particular by its L'osteria Amici Club program.
Expansion plans in France and European growth
After a first opening in Lyon in 2021, in the Part-Dieu shopping center, followed by this installation in Paris, L'Osteria reveals its ambitions: to open no less than four additional establishments in France by 2025, including two others in Lyon (that of Lyon Confluence is planned for mid-December, and that of Vaise for mid-2025) and a second in Paris. To support this growth, the chain favors joint venture partnerships, by region or by city, in order to develop its franchise network. It plans to develop according to three pillars: own restaurants, joint ventures and franchises. Today, 2/3 of the restaurants are directly or indirectly owned by the L'Osteria SE group, and this distribution should be maintained. The brand, already present in 9 countries, which also sells 470,000 pizzas via L'Osteria Delivery, plans to reach 500 restaurants by 2030, with development in new markets, notably in Belgium and Spain.
