Invest in authentic Italian restaurant, a culinary journey with a Sicilian twist

CEBU CITY— Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast is an authentic Italian restaurant located at Ma. Luisa Road in Banilad, Cebu City for more than 20 years is now open for franchising with a franchise fee of P1.5M inclusive of use of trademark, site approval, training of franchisee and staff, procurement program, opening assistance and operations manual on loan.

Initial franchise term of six years and continuation fees of P25K for the 1st and 2nd year; P35K for the 3rd & 4th year; P45K for the 5th and 6th year.  Franchise renewal of 50 percent of the then current franchise fee. 

Space needed for the restaurant is 150sqm.  For more details and information, contact Paseo Saturnino, Ma. Luisa Rd., Banilad, Cebu; giuseppepizzeriacebu@gmail.com and at these numbers: +63 9274755593 & +63 9682222061.

Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast, a culinary journey

Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast is a family-owned restaurant established by its namesake, Giuseppe Genco, an acclaimed Italian chef with an impressive career spanning over 30 years in the hospitality industry. 

Giuseppe has honed his culinary skills at prestigious 5-star hotels, including Shangri-La Beijing, Shangri-La Mactan, and The Peninsula Manila.  Hailing from Sicily, Giuseppe Genco aspired to introduce authentic Sicilian flavors to Cebu with his wife, Rachel, he rented a cozy space on Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad, Cebu and in 2003, they opened a modest 50sqm "Mom and Pop" restaurant.

“The initial setup was simple: a take-out concept with just 2 tables, 8 chairs, and 12 sets of plates and cutleries, with Giuseppe managing the kitchen and I was overseeing the dining area,” mom Rachel Genco told the media/bloggers in an intimate media huddle and food tasting.

The restaurant quickly gained popularity, prompting the Gencos to expand with sons Lorenzo and Carmelo holding the business operations for Bohol and Cebu respectively.  The Genco family's commitment to quality and authenticity is further enhanced by the contributions of these two.

In 2005, they moved to a larger location on Paseo Saturnino, Ma. Luisa Road, where they built and own a full-fledged restaurant, only a few meters away from their original spot.  Buoyed by their success in Cebu, Giuseppe and Rachel expanded the brand.

In 2009, they opened another branch of Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast in Panglao, Bohol and continuing the expansion, they entered into a franchise agreement in 2020, opening new locations in Boracay and Iloilo.

Today, Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast is renowned for its authentic Italian cuisine with a Sicilian twist, offering a delightful culinary experience that brings a taste of Sicily to the Philippines.

Carmelo Genco graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts and has gained valuable experience working at renowned establishments such as the Faena Hotel in Miami and The Westgate Hotel in San Diego. For the past two years, he has been managing and cooking full-time at Giuseppe, bringing fresh ideas and upholding the family tradition of excellence.

Lorenzo Genco, a professional football player turned restaurateur, has been working with Giuseppe for about three years now. His unique background and passion for the restaurant business have brought a dynamic energy to the team, contributing to the ongoing success and growth of Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast.

Challenges of putting up new franchise Giuseppe restaurants

“In the food industry, specifically when you’re putting up authentic Italian dishes/menu, and since we are a family-run restaurant, quality control and sourcing and maintaining authenticity in the dishes are of utmost importance,” Rachel added.

She emphasized the need to explained and stick to the legalities of franchising agreements, now that the Giuseppe brand is calling for possible franchisees.  Franchise agreement documents must outline legal requirements and quality standards.

Location proposals are also approved before opening new franchise branches as well as procurement of ingredients from approved suppliers listed in the agreements, Rachel said, “We have to continue to protect brand reputation by ensuring all locations meet quality standards.”

“Maintaining the authentic Giuseppe brand was also a challenge for the first few years because Filipinos have that kind of sweet tooth palate, but my husband never wavered in his resolve to introduce the unique Italian cuisine here. Today, our brand is well-accepted,” Rachel said.

Food presentation and tasting

Lorenzo and Carmelo shared some of the restaurant’s menus, ingredients and some of the customers’ preferences as different kinds of signature and authentic Italian dishes were presented for media/bloggers to experience this flavorful culinary experience.

First on the table were the appetizers—Focaccia and Antipasto Giuseppe; Focaccia is a flat leavened oven-baked Italian bread, in some contemporary places, such as Rome, it is a style of pizza, also called pizza bianca. Focaccia may be served as a side dish or as sandwich bread and it may be round, rectangular, or square shape.

Antipasto is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. It is usually made of bite-size small portions and served on a platter from which everyone serves themselves, the purpose of antipasti is to stimulate the appetite.

From the appetizers, followed the Pizza—the Stella Pizza and Arugula & Parma Ham Pizza.  Next of the table were Tortelli de Zucca in Salsa di Pistachio (made of pumpkin with pistachio, tortelli & sauce) and the Gnocchi (are Italian dumplings made of potatoes, semolina wheat flour breadcrumbs & more). 

Then there was Spaghetti Marinara. Marinara” translates to “seafaring”—or colloquially to “sailor style” or “mariner style.” It was given the name marinara not because it was once a seafood-style sauce, but because it was the preferred meal of Italy's merchants during long expeditions at sea.

Pappardelle al Ragu is one of the most famous meat-based sauces from Italy. This recipe surely requires patience because the sauce is slowly simmering for hours, an hearty and rich sauce that is perfect for winter.

The star of the show was the Ossobucco, is a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth. It is often garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with either risotto alla milanese or polenta, depending on the regional variation. The marrow in the hole in the bone, a prized delicacy, is the defining feature of the dish. (Photos: MBCNewman and Dish description source: Wikipedia)