Pizzeria Uno Experiences First Net Growth in Restaurant Units in 15 Years Renowned Brand Expanding into Existing Under Performing Hotel Restaurant Spaces
Norwood, MA
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October 30, 2023 11:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time
At the close of the company’s fiscal year on September 30, 2023, Uno Restaurants divulged net positive restaurant growth for the first time in 15 years. This is the first time since 2007 the brand returned to expansion mode.
The net gain was a result of the company’s new growth strategy focusing primarily on the hotel industry. With its pizza-centric menu, Pizzeria Uno is positioned as the perfect full-service hotel restaurant. During the 2023 fiscal year, Pizzeria Uno opened five new hotel-based restaurant locations converted to an Uno from previous underperforming dining concepts.
In 2022, Pizzeria Uno began expanding into the hotel space. Hoteliers are fast embracing the vaunted Unos brand and doubling or even tripling restaurant sales volume.
This strong revenue growth is attributed to multiple Unos concept revenue streams. First, hotel- restaurants capture more hotel guest traffic by leveraging the power of the nationally known and trusted brand name for quality pizza and other menu items. Additionally, hotels are capturing lost revenue streams. These hotels are getting a higher share of food sales as guests select Unos pizzas and more rather than ordering takeout from unknown brands within the hotel’s respective community. Finally, the famous brand appeals to those living near the hotel property, boosting sales from the neighborhood via on site dining or via meal delivery apps.
“Moving into the hotel restaurant conversion space is a key go-forward strategy for us,” said CEO Erik Frederick. “Hotel owners are quickly joining the Uno’s family because of our track record turning loss leading restaurant space into a profit center. When they learn of this solution, owners recognize the wisdom in creating a Pizzeria Uno in their hotel.”
Many hotel franchise companies require property owners to renovate hotel and restaurant spaces after a set period of time. Converting an existing space to an Unos during an already planned remodel is relatively inexpensive incrementally.
Hospitality expert, No Vacancy podcast creator and host, and corporate strategic advisor Glenn Haussman, says this niche is a great a pairing for Unos and hotel owners. “Hotel restaurants typically underperform compared to other dining establishments within a community. Smart hoteliers understand the Pizzeria Uno concept checks many boxes for hotel owners, reinvigorating an existing space with a universally loved product, pizza! Plus, it creates unrealized revenue streams, directly leading to higher profitability.”
This is more critical than ever as pricing pressure due to inflation has hurt overall hotel profitability.
Unos will continue to open standalone restaurants as well, but will predominantly focus on the hotel restaurant space as the main growth vehicle for the company.
About UNO Pizzeria & Grill
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes approximately 80 company-owned and franchised UNO Pizzeria & Grill restaurants located in 18 states, and the District of Columbia, India, and Saudi Arabia. UNO is all about connecting people over pizza – from its famous Chicago Deep Dish, which UNO invented in 1943, to its Chicago Thin Crust, to its gluten-free and vegan pizzas. The Company also operates Uno Foods, a consumer packaged-foods business which supplies supermarkets, airlines, movie theaters, hotels, airports, travel plazas, and schools, with both frozen and refrigerated UNO branded products. For more information, visit www.unos.com.
Contact Details
Chris Dellamarggio
+1 339-613-7641
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