OUR STORY

We can proudly say that Little Italy pioneered the romance that is associated with Italian cuisine in India. We started our journey from Pune as La Pizzeria at a time when very few people in India knew the taste & authenticity of this cuisine. Neither Penne, Fuseli, Spaghetti were commonly heard of nor were they available at stores in India. La Pizzeria was more like a traditional pizza house at the beginning with a limited offering of Pastas & other items. As the popularity and demand increased we slowly started adding up other items, such as Daily specials - pastas, soups & salads along with our existing menu. La Pizzeria became a huge hit with locals and foreigners alike. It became a preferred dining destination for people of Pune.

Then, circa 1995, in a rather daring move the company launched its outlet at Juhu, Mumbai. It was perhaps at this time the name Little Italy evolved, as the aim became to offer a full range of Italian cuisines to our customers.

During the years 1995-2000, Little Italy became synonymous with World Class Italian Cuisine and a favorite place for celebrities to dine. Eventually, anyone with a desire for authentic Italian dining experience headed to Little Italy. In the year 2000, we opened our first franchise outlet and since then there has been no stopping the brand. For us, it was about serving more people and titillate their taste buds. Now, guests enjoy several of our Italian delicacies in more than 26 outlets across 17 major cities in India. Our goal is to open at least 75 Little Italy restaurants over next four to five years.

“Other than Italians it is we who take Italian food seriously”

Our Inspiration

Italians are one of the few people in the world who are truly passionate about their food. They take a lot of pride in their cooking and love their food fresh from the pan. With a passion for authentic Italian cuisine, we have explored the amazing country of Italy to specially hire chefs and most of our essential ingredients are imported straight from there to give you that perfect Italian flavor.

At little Italy we are inspired to bring to you an experience of vibrant and “true” Italian cuisine that transcends you to this exotic world of fine dining.

Our Motto

It is our strong ideology that our customers must always get quality service with a smile, in a clean and pleasant environment.
We are committed to exceeding our customers’ expectations every time they visit us.
We are passionate about consistently enhancing and improving the Little Italy brand.
We aim to seize every opportunity to innovate and lead the industry in order to serve our customers better.

CMD – Mr. Raj Mehta

Mr. Raj Mehta is the reason for Little Italy’s existence. It was his vision that started off, Little Italy, as a family business, in Pune in 1988. By 1989-90, with the assistance of his Italian friend, who was also a chef by profession, La Pizzeria, as Little Italy was known back then, became a rage in Pune. The risk to start an Italian restaurant in Pune paid off. Mr. Mehta, is an alumni of Food Crafts Institute (FCI), Pune. It was at this learning and development stage at FCI that Mr. Mehta, envisioned the idea of making Little Italy, the largest and the best fine dining Italian restaurant in India.

This idea was further catapulted by the sustained and humungous success of Little Italy’s newest outlet at Juhu, Mumbai in 1995. This success became the turning point for Mr. Mehta and changed the fate of Little Italy, as it gave the brand big exposure and also a scalable model. Mr. Mehta, has pioneered the growth of Little Italy till today and has enabled people across India, to enjoy Italian cuisine.

COO – Mr. Naveen Shetty

Mr.Naveen Shetty started his journey along with Mr. Raj Mehta when he started La Pizzeria in 1989-90 in Pune. After spending 6 years in Pune he shifted his base to Mumbai to start off brand “Little Italy”. He is one of the key people behind Little Italy’s success story with over 20 years of experience. Over the years he has played various strategic roles at Little Italy concerning areas of Business Management, Operations and HR.

Come grow with us!

With 26 restaurants across India and a growth rate of over 40%, we constantly strive to partner with more and more people who are passionate about the hospitality business. If you share the same passion we would be glad to welcome you into the Little Italy family.

What Little Italy Has To Offer You:

The opportunity to operate your own business under the brand name of “Little Italy”.
India’s most successful and only restaurant offering vegetarian Italian cuisine, a successful and most recognizable company equity for your future financial security, effective advertising, central supply source - all goods are ordered and delivered regularly from a central warehouse.
Comprehensive training program, theoretical, practical and on-site knowledgeable field support team, always available for site selection and lease negotiation.

View our Franchisee Presentation