When Mr. Salvatoré Abbatiello Founded his first pizza restaurant in 1964, it would have been hard to imagine that it would grow to one day be owned by the third generation of Abbatiellos and also be recognized as the #1 pizza and poutine delivery company in the market where it operates.
Although the company’s achievements are great, Pizza Salvatoré’s primary objective is simple: to offer the most delicious products to everyone who chooses to order from them, and to impact their customers with their exceptional service.
But the way they’ve gone about this is anything but ordinary. In staying true to this simple formula, they’ve managed to scale to a company with 2,000+ team members and 50 per cent higher sales, on average, than other national leading pizza companies.
Pizza Salvatoré, which currently operates 65 locations across Canada within the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, is fresh off of an expansion to Ontario, with the first location opening in London, ON in April, 2023. For the last two years, the company has witnessed a strong growth trajectory, opening a new pizzeria every 14 days. By 2027, the company expects to open nearly 500 locations.
FAMILY BUSINESS
The five young siblings at the helm of the chain are Mr. Abbatiello’s grandchildren, who took over the business in 2018. Taking over the family business was only natural. “We grew up watching our parents and grandparents working on the family business. From our early teens, we worked in restaurants and held all the positions. We have always had a vision of growth, while being fully aware of the operational challenges and being fully anchored,” recalls Elisabeth Abbatiello, Vice-President of Communications and Outreach, and a member of the third generation.
“Our grandfather was an Italian immigrant who came to Canada after World War II. Family for him was really, really important. I think he would be so happy to see five of his grandchildren taking over to company.”
Abbatiello says it’s the siblings understanding of consumer trends and needs for the 18-35 aged demographic that has propelled their business. The chain is best known for its mozzarella-stuffed crust pizzas and decadent poutines made with the fresh cheese of the day, and its menu offers delightful dessert options unique to them.
“I think that is something that differentiates us from our competitors,” says Abbatiello. “Our team is really focusing on our own customers. We are really young and near to our audiences, so it’s so we are able to attract the customers in stores. We really focus on them having a great experience at our restaurants and the result is that they keep coming back.”
The team’s approach works: Pizza Salvatoré’s rapid growth and expansion is the fastest in its category in Canada. “We are very pleased with the results, which translate into an exponential growth in sales amounting to 1,700 per cent in 4 years,” says Abbatiello. “Our goals were ambitious, but reaching $100 million in sales is beyond our wildest expectations considering the challenges of the past few years in navigating this uncertain world on different levels. Our entire team is highly motivated by our current rapid growth and our goal will always be to ensure that every customer is well-served, thereby ensuring the financial health of the company.”
OPENING IN ONTARIO
The Quebec-based Pizza Salvatoré chain continues its expansion into other Canadian provinces with the opening of its first restaurant in London, ON. “Ontario is certainly a new market, but our experience in the past few years has been very formative, as we have grown from 13 to 62 restaurants in four years, including the opening of pizzerias in two other Canadian provinces,” says Abbatiello. “We are convinced that our business model, which is very different from that of other chains, continues to prove its worth.”
The first Ontario location opens in April in London, ON, followed by a location in Niagara Falls. “We are really happy with those two new restaurants, especially because we have found memories associated from when we used to go on vacation to Ontario when we were young. We really want to get involved in the communities in which we get established. We will take our time and every time that we open a restaurant we will connect with local community organizations, especially those that provide free food for those in need, and to connect with the people of the community.”
For more information, please visit www.salvatore.com
