Brussels-based pizza chain Mamma Roma has announced a three-toothed fork of priorities of 2019: featuring a new restaurant concept, its first three stores in the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium and deals with a few major supermarket chains. A possible acquisition by Dr. Oetker is off the table.
Food corners
CEO Eddy Bauts has announced plans for a new concept showcasing the quality of its food products, along with a new logo and improved recipes, in Belgian newspaper La Libre. While an onerous restaurant in Brussels (Boondaal) closes, new store openings are planned in Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent (all in the Dutch-speaking part) and Liège.
Moreover, the chain sets to open nine more food corners in Total petrol stations along highways, after the three that are already operational. Certain company restaurants, like that of the University of Liège and Nike’s European headquarters at Laakdal, should also be equipped with Mamma Roma pizzerias. Moreover, a deal with Monoprix allows the chain to deliver its pizzas to French supermarkets, after similar deals with Carrefour and Delitraiteur in Belgium.
The ambitious announcement is meant to put a full stop behind a miserable 2018, in which the company was marred by shareholders in conflict. Three minor shareholders have started a court case to enforce a sale of their shares at a higher price. A possible takeover by Dr. Oetker has been ruled out: the company admitted there have been talks, but the shareholders want the company to continue on its own.
