If you’ve ever considered owning a branch of a well-known restaurant brand in the UK, the Italian-inspired casual dining chain Zizzi may come to mind. Zizzi has built a strong presence across the UK, offering pasta, pizza and more in a stylish dining environment. A key question for prospective business owners is whether Zizzi offers franchise opportunities. In short, Zizzi does not currently offer regular franchise licences in the UK, and its restaurants are operated under a company-owned model.
About Zizzi
Zizzi opened its first restaurant in 1999 and has since grown into a sizeable chain of Italian-style restaurants across the UK and Ireland. The brand positions itself as offering fresh pasta, stone-baked pizzas and relaxed social dining within modern interiors. Zizzi is part of the portfolio of the hospitality group Azzurri Group, which manages the brand alongside other Italian casual dining chains. The group’s expansion strategy and operations underline that Zizzi venues are managed directly rather than by independent franchisees.
Why Zizzi Doesn’t Offer Franchises
Zizzi’s business model focuses on full ownership and direct operation of its restaurants by the parent company. This means that all major decisions — from site selection and interior design, to menu development, staffing and branding — remain with the company rather than being delegated to third-party owners under a franchise licence. The advantage of this approach is greater control over brand consistency, service standards and customer experience. For entrepreneurs seeking to invest via a franchise model, however, this means Zizzi is not a viable option.
The decision to retain company-owned units may also reflect the scale and format of the brand’s restaurants, which often involve higher investment, standardized design and centralised support systems — factors that align more naturally with internal ownership rather than multiple franchisees each running their own version of the business. So, despite being a well-known brand with many sites, Zizzi does not operate a franchise network.
What It Means for Interested Investors
For someone hoping to own a restaurant under the Zizzi name, the absence of a franchise route means you cannot apply to open and run a Zizzi site as an independent owner under franchise terms. Instead, any new Zizzi restaurant openings are managed by the parent company and staffed or run by that company rather than by third-party business owners. If your goal is to own your own business under a recognised brand, you would need to consider one of two paths: either seek out a brand that explicitly offers franchise opportunities, or build your own independent restaurant venture. In the case of Zizzi, the brand recognition and systems are there, but they are not structured for franchise investment.
Conclusion
In summary, Zizzi offers a strong, established brand with a wide presence in the UK dining market, but it does not offer franchise opportunities for independent business owners. All Zizzi restaurants are company-owned and directly managed by the parent group. If you are looking to invest in a franchise model under a widely recognised dining brand, Zizzi would not meet that criterion. It would be advisable to explore other restaurant chains that explicitly advertise franchise licences or to consider establishing your own restaurant concept where you retain full ownership.