A new dining idea combining tradition and innovation that literally allows you to take the excellence of Italian-made products anywhere you want.

Would you like to know more about this new modern street food culinary project?

1. Where did the idea of the Bottega Portici format originate?

The idea of the Bottega Portici format stems from the desire to extol Italian culinary excellence throughout the world in a contemporary formula that meets present-day requirements. Indeed, Bottega Portici offers traditional fresh pasta, handmade in the shop window by a characteristic pasta maker and cooked in a quick and environmentally-friendly manner by the chefs in the open-view kitchen. A format combining tradition and innovation that meets the latest requirements of a clientele increasingly focused on food quality, but with less time to eat. Bottega Portici offers all this: high-quality products served in 100% compostable packaging to be savoured in comfortable, Italian-designed, state-of-the-art premises.

2. So we can indeed say that you serve quality fast casual food. What are the key points of this project and how would you describe the customer experience?

We aim to offer customers an experience in which tradition and innovation can blend into a unique experience of the very highest quality from all angles. Our customers can observe the entire supply chain from pasta preparation by the pasta makers as everyone watches to creation of classic Italian culinary recipes inside our open-view kitchen. A carefully designed format and process optimisation allow us to guarantee a speedy, pocket-pleasing experience of the very highest quality to be savoured in a Bottega Portici store or, thanks to the take away formula, anywhere you want.

3. What were the main stages of project development from design to choice of suppliers?

Store layout answers, on the one hand, the operational requirements of the premises and, on the other hand, the desire to create an environment for guests that feels like home. Every particular serves a purpose, specifies the customer route and facilitates his experience in the various areas of the premises. Each individual layout is developed by Italian architects and a team of food & beverage experts, selecting the best local suppliers who share with Bottega Portici the values of Italianism, efficiency and good taste.

4. How were the Bottega Portici store locations selected?

Bottega Portici store locations are chosen with a view to meeting the requirements of a broad target as far as both age and gender are concerned. City centres, travel retail areas, shopping centres and outlets are the main venues in which Bottega Portici manages to locate its ideal target, also thanks to the flexibility of the format layout that is available in 4 different versions: S (70-120 m2), M (120-200 m2), L (200-300 m2), XL (> 300 m2).

5. Can you give us some specific details regarding the main Bottega Portici restaurant and kitchen design stages at the Franciacorta Outlet?

As usual , the kitchen area of the Bottega Portici store in the Franciacorta Outlet Village is considered of maximum importance. For this reason, it is the first area to be defined and organised after viewing the premises and the options that the building offers. Having set the various macro areas within the store, the kitchen area is studied in detail, inch by inch, in order to make operations efficient and convenient for kitchen staff and the pasta makers who always have their backs to the kitchen area in every store.

Having defined the kitchen area, we move on to design of the dining area where equal attention is paid to maximising working efficiency.

Finally, we proceed with the positioning of the tills and vending machines, design of the dining area, device charging stations, the water corner, where customers have access to an unlimited supply of still or sparkling water, and all details of the customer route through the Bottega store.

6. What are the essential features the kitchen area must possess in order to satisfy the customer with excellent Italian-made products such as fresh pasta?

The kitchen is the heartbeat of Bottega Portici. The most important feature is user-friendliness of equipment and optimum use of space, as well as the practical design of the entire kitchen island and the choice of high-quality materials that prevent contamination, but allow spotlessly-clean, easy-maintenance worktops.

7. In terms of design and quality, why was an exposed one-piece worktop chosen?

Above all, the easier cleaning and sanitising of a one-piece worktop where chefs process raw materials and cook the products that are served to customers. Without forgetting that, visually speaking, the one-piece worktop represents a design element and enhances the appearance of the kitchen area.

8. Are cooking areas the same in every Bottega store or have you chosen a bespoke solution for each premises and geographical area?

The layout is the same in every Bottega Portici store, but is adapted to suit the amount of space available in each particular case. Despite the different measurements that the format specifies, every store always has a pasta maker in the shop window and the kitchen area behind her.

9. How did you come across the Olis brand and how was your partnership established?

Olis has a reputation in the catering sector as a business offering excellent value for money. Following the first meeting, we immediately discovered shared design concepts allowing our format to express our values in Bottega Portici’s key area in the best possible way. This mutual understanding has produced our chefs’ high level of satisfaction as they can count on top quality equipment and flexible solutions to meet every requirement.

10. Are any more Bottega Portici stores planned for the future, including abroad?

In 2018, Bottega Portici extended its development project to include franchising. Following the first two stores in Bologna, including the flagship store right in the centre under the two towers, Bottega Portici has opened others in Reggio Emilia, Milan, Rome and Franciacorta. Additional stores are scheduled to open on Italian soil, whilst offers are already on the table to take our brand abroad as of next year.