Q&A: Does Tony Macaroni Franchise in the UK?

If you’d love to start a restaurant franchise, Tony Macaroni franchise opportunities are very much worth looking into. The chain is currently working on its expansion across England and Wales with the help of talented franchisees, and you could become a profitable part of this expansion.

Evidently, the closures and uncertainties of COVID-19 have impacted the restaurant industry, from the fine dining spots to the QSR franchise unit. But still, this resilient industry is bouncing back and returning to pre-pandemic profitability. Given that household spending on eating out was at an all-time UK high in 2019 [Statista], it’s a great area in which to make an investment and become a restaurant manager.

Does Tony Macaroni franchise in the UK?

Yes, Tony Macaroni does franchise in the UK. From its Glasgow headquarters, the company will welcome you into the fold, and you can become a crucial part of Tony Macaroni’s growth into England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you do choose to launch a Tony Macaroni business of your own, you’ll be selecting between three different and distinct site options: sites in city centres, sites in retail parks and sites in shopping malls.

Our restaurants thrive because of their authenticity, consistency, superior menu, fresh ingredients and proven business model. [...] Whilst we will continue to open many more [locations] across Scotland, the time is right to offer experienced franchise operators, with the best locations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the chance to bring this much-loved brand into their portfolios.
- Giuseppe Marini, Tony Macaroni

The history of popular Italian food franchise, Tony Macaroni 

Tony Macaroni (the sister company of Nardini’s, a Largs ice cream parlour and Marini’s, a Scottish fish and chip shop chain) first opened its doors in 2007 with restaurant number one. The restaurant was located in East Kilbride, Scotland, and from the success of this initial endeavour, the Italian restaurant chain began its expansion. Tony Macaroni achieved many different accolades along the way to becoming a 17-restaurant-strong franchise family and joining the Scottish-based Viva Italia Group alongside 19 other restaurants. It has picked up accolades such as [Pizza & Pasta Industry Awards]:

• Best Pizza Restaurant Chain of the Year 2016
• Best Pasta Chef of the Year 2016
• Best Pizza Chef of the Year 2017, 2018
• Italian Restaurant of the Year 2018
• Margherita of the Year 2019
• Best Pizzeria of the Year 2020
• Best Pizza of the Year 2020
• Best Independent Takeaway 2020
• Outstanding Business of Lockdown 2020

Tony Macaroni customers can order in and dine out, and they have been able to since before the pandemic swept the nation, making the restaurant and food takeaway franchise ideally positioned to weather any new storm that hits the hospitality climate. It’s versatile, it’s flexible, and its income streams are diversified. The franchise has its own Tony Mac Takeaway app, complete with a range of wines, 13 different and delicious risottos, the Tony MaCalzone collection and more.

The Tony Macaroni menu [was] selected by the company’s multi-award-winning consultant chef Fabio Campoli. For over 15 years, Fabio has been one of Italy’s most respected chefs and his knowledge of the country’s cuisine is unrivalled.
- Tony Macaroni

Start a franchise in the restaurant sector with a Tony Macaroni restaurant

If, with a stronger sense of Tony Macaroni’s brand and the franchise’s journey thus far, you’re even more determined to invest and start your own restaurant franchise in the popular Italian cuisine sub-sector, read on. Find out the answers to the following three questions, and you’ll know everything you need to in order to invest with Tony Macaroni...

1. How do you go about becoming a Tony Macaroni franchisee?

You can request more info about Tony Macaroni and start your franchising journey over on What Franchise. The ideal Tony Macaroni franchisee won’t necessarily need expressly relevant Italian restaurant industry experience. However, they will need to be able to demonstrate their managerial chops and show a high level of dedication, alongside being committed to providing excellent customer service and supporting the local community. Finally (and arguably most importantly), a Tony Macaroni franchisee must be able to meet the financial needs of an investment.

2. How much do you need to invest?

To launch a single unit franchise of Tony Macaroni, you’ll pay a franchise fee of £25,000, with royalty and marketing fees charged at 6% and 3% respectively. You’ll then need to cover the costs of store fit-out, equipment, stock and launch marketing, which will come in at anywhere from £250,000 to £750,000 (inclusive of that initial franchise fee). The total investment cost will hinge on the size of your chosen premises, the location of it, its capacity, and what kind of shape it’s in/how much it’ll need to be renovated pre-opening.

3. What do you get for your investment?

Franchise partners will have access to bespoke branded packaging, marketing and IT solutions that integrate seamlessly into EPOS systems to ensure efficient operational delivery and ease of ordering for every one of the franchise outlets in the network. - Tony Macaroni

Franchisees will be fully trained and supported every step of the way, provided with the above and much more. The support won’t end with the launch - it will continue as and when it’s required. All franchisees will be able to use the Tony Macaroni Takeaway custom app, and in some prime locations, you’ll also have access to the Tony Mac delivery fleet (a fleet of branded Fiat 500s). In other locations, you’ll still be able to offer delivery using third party services.

Tony Macaroni Italian food can’t be beaten - so why not join the brand and start running your own business in the growing network?

If launching a restaurant franchise is your dream, it might finally be time to start living it with Tony Macaroni. Stay on Point Franchise to continue your research and find out more about running a restaurant. Check out six tips for running a restaurant franchise, a day in the life of a restaurant franchise owner and the top four restaurant trends of 2021.