il fornello - The Canadian Business Journal

IL FORNELLO
www.ilfornello.com
CB
CB
FOOD & BEVERAGE
IL FORNELLO
Italian Kitchen and Bar
Serving Torontonians a variety of Italian
cuisine favourites like delectable wood
oven baked pizza – its signature menu
item and a first in the Toronto market
since 1986 – IL FORNELLO has
transformed the local Italian restaurant
landscape by providing an authentic
and gourmet dining experience to its
growing and loyal customer base.
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FOOD & BEVERAGE • IL FORNELLO
With an extensive menu that offers pastas,
salads and a variety of appetizers crafted with
an Italian twist, IL FORNELLO has recreated the
traditional look and feel of Italian eating establishments, combining tasty menu choices with
a casual yet modern restaurant décor. Delicious
wood oven baked pizza and classic, casual Italian dining made IL FORNELLO’s initial location a
success, giving the restaurant its identity, putting
it on the map, establishing its brand and quality
and paving the way for future restaurant expansion through a structured franchising model.
As it happened, Ian Sorbie, President of IL
FORNELLO, visited New York City – a global hub of
Italian cuisine – to investigate restaurant designs
that could then be translated to the Toronto market.
“In New York, I happened upon a restaurant
that was serving wood oven baked pizza, which
Franchising Model
hadn’t been done in Toronto,” Sorbie told The
The popularity of IL FORNELLO has allowed
Canadian Business Journal. “I came back totally
the company to explore expansion through the
convinced that this would be a great concept
development of its franchising model. Today, IL
to start. Nowadays, almost every restaurant
FORNELLO has four locations serving the To-
has pizza on the menu, but pizza baked in a
ronto market plus additional franchises in the
wood fired oven was a unique item back in the
surrounding markets of Ajax, Richmond Hill,
late 1980s. It has identified us. We have our
Oakville, and will soon open its newest home
wood ovens front and centre in the restaurant
in Barrie. This franchising model has seen IL
so guests can see that activity, the fire and the
FORNELLO grow its roots in the city of Toronto,
pizza being baked. That look is an integral part
the Greater Toronto Area and provide an entry
of the experience in our restaurants.”
into the surrounding Golden Horseshoe. Further
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FOOD & BEVERAGE • IL FORNELLO
expansion plans also see IL FORNELLO looking
west to Waterloo and east to Ottawa.
“Our goal has been to make sure that every
“Some companies sell franchises to anyone,
anywhere in order to expand quickly and when a
unit fails, they resell it to a new franchisee, but
location we have is an excellent location,” Sor-
that’s not our goal. We really don’t want to be sell-
bie summarized. “The secret is finding the right
ing franchises just to sell franchises. We want to
operators. We’re insistent that our franchisees
be sure our franchises are qualified and have an
be owner-operators, that they’re in there working
IL FORNELLO in an area where they have the best
and that they’ve had extensive restaurant experi-
chance of being successful. Because it is some-
ence and if it is experience with us, even better.
times difficult to find people with that kind of expe-
Fortunately for us, the operators of our most re-
rience, we also look at partnership opportunities
cent franchises, Ajax and Barrie, are employees
with investors wherein IL FORNELLO operates the
who have been with us for a long time.
restaurants with our own staff and management.”
SEPTEMBER 2012 • The Canadian Business Journal
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FOOD & BEVERAGE • IL FORNELLO
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Also critical to IL FORNELLO’s franchising
W W W. M O L I S A N A . C O M
model is the need for corporate stores. As a
hands-on partner in franchising, corporate
locations allow IL FORNELLO to be operationally
involved in its business, a restaurateur as well
as a franchisor.
Commitment to Quality
From kitchen to boardroom, the most important
ingredient at IL FORNELLO is quality, from sustainable franchise expansion to providing the best
possible food and service. The three principals
behind IL FORNELLO since its beginning have a
combined 80 years of restaurant experience and
SEPTEMBER 2012 • The Canadian Business Journal
use this know-how to establish and maintain the
IL FORNELLO brand of quality. IL FORNELLO’s organizational strength and focus have also resulted
in attracting many long-term staff, which ultimately
leads to a continuation of quality service.
“There are so many different elements in a
restaurant – the atmosphere, the service, the
food – and every element is really crucial,” Sorbie
said. “Right now we’re in a stage where we feel we
have such a strong, dedicated team in every area
– in finding locations, in designing and building
the restaurants, in creating an atmosphere that
is unique and exciting, and a team that can create great menu items, and management who can
make sure that everything works.”
Moving forward, the plan for future growth
continues, with hopes to add another 12 to 14
locations over the coming years. As Sorbie concluded, “I feel more confident now than I ever
have that we’re in a great position to grow.” CB
www.ilfornello.com
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AS SEEN IN THE SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS JOURNAL
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