A Passion for Italian Cuisine and Culture Attracted DiMatteo to this Role
Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, an emerging pizza franchise, has named Andrew DiMatteo operations manager. The pizza concept is part of Big Flavor Brands, the food division of United Franchise Group (UFG), a family of affiliated brands, consultants and companies. The experienced restaurant pro will spearhead new franchisee training and oversee operations.
DiMatteo said joining Cannoli Kitchen Pizza was attractive for several reasons, including its reputation for serving authentic Italian dishes made with ingredients sourced from Italy, and the leadership team’s efforts to keep the mom-and-pop feel of its pizzerias as the brand scaled. He said his passion for Italian culture and cuisine stems from his own Italian ancestry and having spent many summers in Sicily as a child.
“I am eager to support the growth of the brand and help new restaurant owners pursue their passion for serving Italian cuisine while guiding them on their way to launching and maintaining a successful pizza franchise. Watching the growth and success of the brand and its franchisees will be very fulfilling. We are excited to open several new restaurants this year and are making several meaningful connections with people in the process,” DiMatteo said.
DiMatteo expressed optimism that UFG’s global network of expert support, proven systems, abundant resources and more than four decades of experience will enable Cannoli Kitchen Pizza to make a significant impact for its new franchisees.
Austin Titus, president of Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, released a statement lauding DiMatteo as the right person to take the pizza franchise to the next level. “With Andrew’s culinary and restaurant training and his family’s Italian roots, he’s a perfect fit for this role. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on our leadership team.”
Passion for Italian Culture
DiMatteo’s professional experience has involved working with privately owned, multi-unit Italian restaurants serving handmade pizzas and new and traditional dishes. (In terms of the Cannoli Kitchen Pizza menu, he highly recommends the Caprese salad and the eggplant special!) And his passion for Italian cuisine doesn’t stop when he is off the clock; DiMatteo enjoys making pizza in his free time and hopes he’s creating family traditions for others through his work with Cannoli Kitchen Pizza.
He lives in South Florida with his wife, their 2-year-old son and their German Shepherd. In addition to English, DiMatteo is fluent in Italian and Spanish.
