Kisses From Italy Joins Forces with Food Network Celebrity Chef Scott Conant
Press Release | 03/02/2023
Industry Giant, Fransmart, Will Lead the Global Development and Franchise Sales for New Brand and Concept
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 2, 2023 / Kisses From Italy Inc. (OTCQB:KITL),a publicly listed U.S.-based company, restaurant chain operator, franchisor, and product distributor with locations in the United States, Canada and Europe, is very pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic alliance to develop a new restaurant concept with American celebrity chef, Food Network star, restaurateur and cookbook author Scott Conant.
Kisses From Italy will form a wholly-owned subsidiary to house the new brand and concept. Chef Scott Conant and his team will be taking the lead on the branding and concept development initiative in collaboration with the Kisses From Italy team. Fransmart, a worldwide industry leader in the global franchise development market and current advisor to Kisses From Italy, will play the key role of serving as the group's exclusive global franchise developer and representative.
Claudio Ferri, co-CEO, CIO and co-founder of Kisses From Italy commented, "first and foremost a big thank you to Dan Rowe, Fransmart's founder and CEO, for introducing us to Scott Conant and bringing all of us to the table. It is exciting when everything comes together so well, especially when major players like Fransmart and Scott present you with this kind of opportunity. There are not enough words to explain how thrilled the Company is to have Scott and his team on board with Kisses From Italy. We have worked diligently to get this agreement in place with Scott, who we believe brings considerable value and experience to the table for our Company and its shareholders. The public knows Scott from his appearances as a celebrity chef on the Food Network channel, as an experienced restaurateur/developer and book author but what he brings to the group is so much more than that. Scott clearly understands our vision and shares the same passion for this new venture."
Ferri added, "during this process, I've had the opportunity to get to know Scott and, in addition to being a great person, he is not someone that would just put his name on a brand or concept unless he truly believes in it. We share similar backgrounds with our Italian heritages, and we believe that Scott understands what we are looking for and our team clearly understands Scott's vision and motivation. The team already has an exciting concept and brand in late-stage development, which we're not revealing yet, but you will hear about it soon. We have identified a major metropolitan city in the U.S. as the ideal location, where the team will be planting its flag, for the development of our new brand and concept. Overall, we believe that partnering with Fransmart and entering into this strategic alliance agreement with Scott represents the most significant achievement in our Company's history."
Scott Conant, two-time James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and TV personality commented, "I couldn't be more excited about partnering with Kisses From Italy and Fransmart. To have the chance to create this fast casual brand together is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There is something magical when a group of creatives can sit in a room and see all the through lines come together. We are developing something spectacular that not only is craveable, but is reminiscent of childhood nostalgia and the connectivity of gathering around the table. I am confident the enthusiasm for the food and business acumen of this team will set us on a path of growth and much success. As a core tenet of everything that we do, genuine hospitality and a service forward approach will be the key differentiators."
Dan Rowe, founder and CEO of Fransmart, stated, "the Italian QSR and fast casual space is wide open. With Scott's ability to create amazing food and Claudio and Michael's business acumen and financial expertise, no doubt, we believe that we are going to create the category killer and most successful Italian fast casual concept." Dan Rowe also added, "I believe Kisses From Italy has created a platform to launch authentic brands and products, and build the proprietary supply lines for our franchisees and continue to build on consumer packaged goods. It is not too dissimilar to what is currently being done in the market by larger players in similar segments." Fransmart is currently Kisses From Italy's advisor and its exclusive global franchise developer and representative.
Michele Di Turi, President, co-CEO and co-founder of Kisses From Italy also commented, "it goes without saying that for an emerging company like Kisses From Italy having faced the headwinds that affected the global economy, we are blessed to be in the position that we are today. In the last year or so, we looked at the Company's positioning and thought about the evolution of Kisses From Italy as a Company with different business facets. The goal has always been long-term fundamental growth and to take the steps needed to reach that growth. It has not been an easy path. If you look at the public filings, we believe we are one of the rare OTC public companies where our team has done a fantastic job of keeping costs down and dedicating as much time as needed to the Company without personally drawing on the business' cash flow.
"We believe that our hard work and dedication on behalf of the shareholders have now brought us the right opportunities. The idea of Kisses From Italy becoming a holding Company and housing different brands and concepts becomes a conceivable reality when working with powerhouses like Fransmart and Chef Scott Conant." Di Turi continued by saying, "we believe that as a company we have built an excellent platform to launch various brands and products with focuses on building out supply lines. Consumer packaged goods continue to be part of the plan. Our Kisses From Italy branded retail products in Canada are currently available in over 70 stores in Quebec and Ontario. Our goal in working with Scott and the team is to add additional brands and concepts in different food categories, which we believe will allow the organization to leverage the supply chain and our overhead expenses across all lines, which would translate to significant future growth."
