Bruzzo launches franchising: Abruzzo cuisine expands from Emilia

Abruzzo cuisine is looking to reach new cities from a base in Emilia, northern Italy. L’Arrosticino, the restaurant concept created by chef Andrea Chiarini, has changed its name to Bruzzo and is opening up to franchising. With two restaurants in Parma and Reggio Emilia, the brand presented its franchise proposition at Salone Franchising Milano 2026, supported by consultancy Reting.

A new name for the planned network

The rebrand was announced on social media on 22 September 2026. The message marks a change of name, but not of culinary focus: L’Arrosticino becomes Bruzzo while keeping the cuisine of Abruzzo, a region in central Italy, at its heart. The change accompanies the decision to welcome future franchisees, moving from the experience of running its existing restaurants to presenting a network model.

The brand claims 17 years of experience in the restaurant industry. This should be distinguished from its franchising history: the stated experience relates to restaurant operations, while its franchise development is still at an early stage. For prospective franchisees, this distinction helps put the brand’s credentials in perspective, without mistaking an established operating business for a developed franchise network.

Its current base consists of the restaurants in Parma and Reggio Emilia. These are the two locations underpinning the new proposition, which aims to take its regional cuisine beyond the existing sites.

The debut at Salone Franchising Milano

From 1 to 3 October 2026, Bruzzo took part in Salone Franchising Milano at Allianz MiCo in Milan. It was among 15 selected emerging franchise brands, in a showcase dedicated to businesses at the start of their franchising journey. The event gave the newly named brand an opportunity to introduce itself to prospective business owners interested in the concept.

The timing was tight: first came the rebranding announcement, followed by the trade fair debut of the franchise proposition. The news, then, is not a new restaurant opening, but the public launch of a new phase of development. For Italy’s franchise sector, Bruzzo is a new entrant seeking to bring a regional culinary tradition to a wider audience through a restaurant format.

Its inclusion among emerging brands reflects its current stage: a concept introducing itself to prospective franchisees. It should not be taken as evidence of completed openings or as an indication of the network’s future size.

Reting supports the move into franchising

To structure this process, Bruzzo has engaged Reting, a consultancy specialising in franchise network development. On 18 October, the consultancy shared details of its work with the brand through its own channels, placing the name change within the broader move towards franchising.

The support therefore concerns a specific stage in the brand’s development: turning the experience of its existing restaurants into a proposition for other business owners. This is the substantive change behind the new identity, beyond simply adopting a different name.

For a prospective franchisee, the track record of the original restaurants and the organisation of the future network should be assessed separately. Visiting a restaurant provides an insight into the customer offering; assessing a franchise also requires examining how that offering could be replicated in another city. These are complementary checks, not interchangeable ones.

A table-service restaurant, not a takeaway format

Bruzzo’s stated positioning sets it apart from other concepts drawing on the same culinary tradition. Abruzzo cuisine already has a presence in the franchise sector through brands such as Arrosticinando, which focuses on street food. Bruzzo, by contrast, presents itself as a table-service restaurant, rather than a takeaway concept.

This distinction matters more to understanding the business than the regional origins of its recipes alone. Anyone considering a franchise should therefore start with the type of experience the brand intends to offer, rather than treating different formats as equivalent simply because they share a culinary reference point.

The next milestone to watch will be the first franchised opening outside Parma and Reggio Emilia: the point at which the concept presented in Milan is put into practice beyond its current base.

Practical guidance: if you are considering Bruzzo, start by getting to know the two existing restaurants and discussing the franchise terms with the brand, distinguishing its restaurant operating experience from the track record it has yet to build as a franchise network.