Porpetta: two pilot outlets planned in Rome, with franchising from 2028

Porpetta aims to make meatballs the core product of a fast-food chain, starting in Rome and laying the groundwork for future franchise expansion. The project is still at an early stage: it has launched a seed funding round to finance its first pilot outlets and plans to begin franchising in 2028. For the franchise sector, this is therefore a concept under development, rather than a network already recruiting franchisees.

Rome as the first testing ground

According to a report published by L’Express Franchise on 2 November 2026, Porpetta’s plan calls for two outlets in Rome in 2026. However, the brand’s website does not yet list addresses or opening dates. The timetable should therefore be treated as a development plan, rather than confirmation that the proposed outlets have already opened.

The seed round is intended to fund this initial phase. Raising capital and launching the pilot outlets are the project’s first two priorities, ahead of expansion through franchising.

The stated approach is to begin with company-owned outlets, where the concept can be tested and refined before being offered to other entrepreneurs. Rome is the planned initial market for putting the model to the test. For those following emerging brands, the key development to watch is not yet geographical expansion, but the move from planning to the first operating outlets.

Meatballs, centralised production and fast service

Porpetta’s idea is to do for meatballs what fast-food chains have done for hamburgers: build a quick-service restaurant offering around a recognisable product. The proposed model relies on centralised production and a service time that the brand aims to keep under two minutes.

These two elements define the concept’s approach. Production is central to the project, while speed of service is one of its operational promises to customers. These are not, however, results already demonstrated across a network of trading outlets: they are features of the model Porpetta intends to develop.

From a franchising perspective, the test will be whether the concept can be replicated across different locations. The pilot phase therefore has a practical purpose: to establish how the project works in the market before the planned involvement of franchisees. Distinguishing between the proposed model and actual performance remains essential when assessing a brand at this stage.

The plan: 35 outlets within five years

The financial and commercial forecasts released by the brand outline a gradual expansion. For 2026, the plan lists two outlets and estimated revenue of €1.3 million. For 2027, this rises to five outlets and €3.9 million, while the 2028 forecast envisages nine outlets and €8 million.

The five-year target is 35 outlets and more than €25 million in revenue. The project also includes international expansion from the fourth year.

These are the brand’s targets, not achieved results. The revenue figures are also forecasts within the plan and should not be presented as turnover already generated. The same caution applies to outlet numbers: these milestones describe the scale Porpetta aims to reach, while the first step remains the actual opening of its Rome pilot outlets.

Franchising from year three, after testing

Franchise recruitment is not yet open. Porpetta plans to begin franchising in its third year, in 2028, after testing and refining the concept in company-owned outlets. The announced sequence therefore separates funding and initial testing from the subsequent development of a franchise network.

This approach sits within the framework of Italy’s Law No. 129/2004, which requires franchisors to have tested their business concept in the market before establishing a network. Planning a pilot phase does not, in itself, demonstrate that this testing has already been completed.

Practical takeaway: for prospective franchisees, Porpetta is currently a project to monitor. The next milestones to verify are the completion of the seed funding round and the opening of the two Rome outlets, while keeping announced targets clearly separate from results actually achieved.