After making its European debut last year in Milan, Italy, Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls is rolling out 100 locations over the next eight years to Italy, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The European growth is in partnership with Pietro Funaro, an Italian investment banker and businessman, who visited Mason’s two years ago in Annapolis. One year later, he opened the first European location in Milan.
“From that first bite, I was captivated by Mason’s simple, fresh taste and focus on high-quality ingredients,” Funaro said in a company press release. “Italians, while often hesitant to support American franchise restaurant brands, seem to feel the same way I did, based on our early success. They might be able to find pizza and pasta on every corner, but there aren’t many places in Italy where they can enjoy a lobster roll.”
Like Mason’s locations in the United States, Mason’s European locations offer customers a taste of New England, featuring sustainably sourced lobster from Maine with rolls in both classic Maine and Connecticut styles. European locations will also offer unique menu items, including an avocado roll and spicy diavolo roll.
“We’re bringing a unique approach to European expansion by starting in Italy,” Funaro said. “Most U.S. franchise brands start in Western Europe, where the conditions are a bit more favorable for expansion. Instead, we’re pressure testing that this can work first in a harder EU market. Eighty percent of our customer base is Italian, so we’re clearly doing something right. We felt that if we could succeed here, we’d be able to succeed anywhere.”
The brand’s expansion will continue in Italy with locations expected to open in Rome, Venice and Florence before year’s end. Growth will continue in Zurich, Switzerland, Madrid, Spain and London, England.
Funaro will be involved in the first four Italian stores, using them as training locations for the future stores’ managing operators.
“We’re looking for managers with restaurant experience and strong networks in the areas where we plan to grow,” Funaro said. “From there, all they need is a taste of the brand and training to feel comfortable with the simple, yet delicious recipes. After all, I don’t know how to make a carbonara, but I know how to make a lobster roll.”
Continued growth is expected in the U.S. market for the 33-unit chain, founded in 2014 by Dan Beck, a former restaurant seafood buyer.
“Expanding into Europe wasn’t truly on our radar until we met with Pietro,” Beck said in the release. “Yet, we’ve seen the concept to be a natural fit so far. Our prioritization of walkable locations makes storefront selection much simpler in Europe, and our simple, high-quality recipes make us attractive to customers who are looking to try something new.”
Source: Fast Casual
