The people behind some of London's most Instagram-worthy restaurants have set their sights on Manchester, it has been confirmed. Restaurant group Big Mamma has said it is looking to open its first UK site outside of the capital in the city.
The French-owned Italian restaurant group are known for their larger-than-life Italian restaurant concepts including Gloria, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi, Carlotta and Circolo Popolare - the latter of which features a dedicated wall of wine encompassing 20,000 bottles. Big Mamma has also become known for its show-stopping dishes including carbonara served in a giant cheese wheel.
While details on where in Manchester the restaurant group has set its sights on has not been revealed yet, a spokesperson for Big Mamma have confirmed that the operator has been looking at a number of potential sites.
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French entrepreneurs Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux founded the brand back in 2013, opening East Mamma in Paris in 2015. Since then, they've gone on to open more than 20 restaurants in Europe spanning 10 cities including London, Paris, Milan and Madrid.
Last September, the group was valued at €270m after selling the majority stake on the business to the private equity firm behind Gail's Bakery group. There are plans to expand further into Europe and the Middle East too.
Big Mamma's concept is based on bringing a slice of traditional Italian trattorias abroad, with all dishes homemade and served at affordable prices. As well as it's over-the-top restaurants, the brand has become known for its tongue-in-cheek dishes including "naughty garlic bread", which have proven to be prime social media fodder.
Big Mamma had their first UK hit with Gloria, a 70s-inspired, Capri-styled restaurant in the middle of Shoreditch. It was followed up by Circolo Popolare in 2019, styled as a 'sunny Sicilian trattoria' in the heart of Fitzrovia. It's here that diners can sample carbonara served in a pecorino wheel, Neapolitan pizzas and 'scandalous' desserts including caramelised, chocolate covered profiterole.
After opening of Gloria and Circolo Popolare they moved onto Ave Mario in Covent Garden. It's largest restaurant to date, it boasts almost 300 covers spread over three spaces and two large terraces. It's other London restaurants include Jacuzzi and Carlotta.
The news of Big Mamma group's interest in Manchester comes as a number of fellow London concepts make their way up north. Already this year, it has been confirmed that hit steakhouse and Flat Iron and Blacklock are set to arrive in Manchester in the coming months.
Also joining the fray, award-winning London restaurant group Caravan are due to open their first Manchester site in the St John's district this summer. This year will also see the much-anticipated arrival of Soho House on the site of the former Granada Studios on Quay Street.
