Bonici Pizza has signed its first major group franchise deal with Togolese brand Sodigaz
With a recorded three million euros of turnover in 2018 and a growth rate of nearly 300 per cent in three years, the French pizza delivery company Bonici Pizza is furthering its expansion strategy to expand to new territories. The 11-year-old franchise has now set its sights on the African market.
With the ultimate aim of expanding into the French-speaking markets of Africa and Europe, this master franchise deal with Sodigaz is the first step towards establishing itself initially in West Africa.
“Togo represents an anchor for us for future development in Africa,” said Bonici Pizza founder Jerome Bonici. “The West Africain market is actually one of the most important for us with a young, dynamic consumer population. In 10 years, it’s going to explode.”
The first shop is scheduled to open in Lomé in 2020, followed by four others in Togo in the first year. Sodigaz will prove to be a powerful resource here with service-stations that are currently being constructed in Togo and across West Africa.
“Franchise training was one of the key elements of our success in France,” said Bonici. “To stamp our mark on the African market, it remains a critical stage, even if the cultural context is different.”
To replicate the franchise’s winning strategy in Africa, the commercial director and the head of training for Sodigaz have been selected from teams in Toulouse, where the brand was first established.
From its humble beginnings in the French suburb of Toulouse, the Bonici Pizza delivery franchise has evolved in the last 10 years from just a few stores in the south-west of France to more than 44 purchase points across the country. The Bonici Pizza franchise is looking to expand in all major French-speaking regions including Paris, Reunion Island, Guadeloupe and Guyane in 2019.
