Pisa-based Bombolove opens up to franchising and seeks franchisees

Bombolove, the brand specialising in frati and bomboloni — Italian ring doughnuts and filled doughnuts — founded in Pisa’s Piazza Garibaldi, is opening its concept to franchising from 2026 and seeking new franchisees. Reported by L’Express Franchise on 24 September 2026, the announcement introduces a new offering to Italy’s franchise market: a business built around a specific range of sweet treats, now looking for prospective business partners beyond its Pisa origins.

From Piazza Garibaldi to recruiting franchisees

The key point of the announcement is that the concept is being opened to entrepreneurs interested in becoming franchisees. Bombolove originated in Pisa’s Piazza Garibaldi, with an offering centred on frati and bomboloni. These are the defining features highlighted in the news of its franchisee recruitment.

The move announced for 2026 therefore concerns the opportunity to join the business as a franchisee. It should not be confused with the confirmed launch of a national network or a schedule of new openings. The available information does not state how many agreements have been signed or give addresses for future franchised outlets.

For anyone following new opportunities in franchising, this distinction matters. Recruiting partners is a different stage from actually opening shops: it signals the brand’s intention to develop its concept through franchising, but does not yet allow its geographical expansion to be assessed.

The wider context: more than €39 billion in 2025

The L’Express Franchise report also refers to the Assofranchising Italia report. According to the figures cited, turnover in Italy’s franchise sector exceeded €39 billion in 2025, up 8% on the previous year.

The same source identifies franchised foodservice businesses as one of the three main drivers of this growth, alongside large-scale retail and clothing. This is the broader context for Bombolove’s announcement, not a forecast of the individual brand’s performance.

The two should be kept separate. The national figure describes the overall performance of the franchise sector; it does not, on its own, demonstrate the financial viability of a new franchise. Assessing a specific opportunity requires information on costs, organisation and the concept’s operating requirements. The available announcement does not provide these details for Bombolove.

The details still to establish

The search for franchisees is the starting point of the news, but it leaves several practical questions unanswered. The available material does not specify the initial investment required, any franchise fee, royalties or other financial terms. It also lacks details on premises sizes and location requirements.

Nor does it specify training arrangements, start-up support or how supplies will be organised. The absence of these details from the announcement does not mean they have not been decided: it simply means they cannot be described on the basis of the published information available here.

A prospective franchisee’s first step should therefore be to establish exactly what the offer includes. Which tasks remain the entrepreneur’s responsibility? Which services are included in the franchise package? How are product preparation and the day-to-day running of the outlet organised? These are questions to put to the brand, rather than assuming the answers from its market positioning alone.

Assessing the opportunity without assuming results

The distinctive feature documented so far is the offering of frati and bomboloni under a brand founded in Pisa. To turn initial interest into a business assessment, prospective partners should establish how that offering translates into procedures, staffing needs, equipment and criteria for selecting premises.

Discussions with the brand should also clarify whether there are priority areas for development and what timescales are envisaged for selection, preparation and opening. None of these points should be taken for granted: the announcement gives neither numerical expansion targets nor a list of cities earmarked for future openings.

The news therefore remains specific and limited in scope: from 2026, Bombolove is opening its concept to franchising and seeking partners. Subsequent agreements and any outlet openings will need to be verified separately.

Practical advice: anyone interested should request a full presentation of the concept and a detailed breakdown of costs before assessing premises or making financial commitments.