Pasta Evangelists opens franchise restaurants as it leans into bricks and mortar

Pasta Evangelists is set to launch its first franchise sites in London’s Richmond and Greenwich amid plans to open 20 more restaurants over the next five years.

Alessandro Savelli, Finn Lagun and Chris Rennoldson started Pasta Evangelists as a cook-at-home fresh pasta business in 2016.

During the pandemic, the team expanded its reach by partnering with delivery companies to serve cooked meals. In 2021, they opened their first restaurant within Harrods Dining Hall in London’s Knightsbridge, the same year the business was bought by the Italian family-owned Barilla Group, a 146-year-old pasta and bakery company.

Pasta Evangelists also had a site in Market Halls in London’s Victoria.

The Richmond restaurant opens tomorrow as the group’s first Pasta Emporium in partnership with Amsric, which is the appointed franchisee for KFC and Starbucks, operating over 70 locations across the South of England.

Guests will have the option to dine in or take away pasta dishes such as lobster tortellini, slow-cooked beef and Chianti ragu, which will be made fresh in-store for everyone to view. Antipastis such as tomato and rosemary focaccia and desserts such as lemon tarts will also be available.

The restaurant is also collaborating with Carnevale, who will be offering wine pairings with a selection of natural and organic wines from Top Cuvée.  

Meanwhile, the Greenwich site is due to open later this summer with a large communal table and regular pasta-classes from head chef Roberta d’Elia in the style of the sessions held at Pasta Evangelists’ flagship Farringdon Pasta Academy.

Alessandro Savelli, chief executive of Pasta Evangelists, said: “We’re delighted to launch our first franchise sites in Richmond and Greenwich. As Pasta Evangelists continue to expand, we’re constantly looking to innovate and elevate our pasta offering, and the new franchises will allow us to do exactly this. After 7 years of operating as a digital business, we are so looking forward to welcoming customers into our new homes.”