Franchising

Mici rolls out franchising program

Jeff Miceli and Elliot Schiffer cook up pizzas.

July 2, 2020

In an effort to become a national brand, Mici Handcrafted Italian, a six-unit fast casual chain based in Denver, has rolled out a national franchise program.

The company is looking to partner with multi-unit franchisees to develop Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Idaho, Missouri, however CEO Elliot Schiffer said he is also open to working with the right prospect anywhere in the US.

"The Miceli family has built the Mici brand over the past 16 years and I've been grooming it for future growth since 2017," he said in a company press release. "Despite a lot of interest, we've held off on franchising in order to get our systems and product in place. We cannot wait to open up the brand to growth through franchising."

Mici, which was founded in 2004 by siblings Jeff, Kim and Michael Miceli, features authentic Italian family-recipes and uses all-natural, unprocessed, clean ingredients, Schiffer said. The made-to-order pastas, artisan pizzas, salads, and more — are available for dine-in, carryout, catering and delivery.

Innovating the pizza business

Besides running a pizza brand, Founder and President Jeff Miceli's is an inventor; he holds a patent for the Mici-Z Pizza Press, which allows locations to make a consistent crust with minimal training. The chain is also retrofitting existing restaurants with state-of-the-art conveyor belt brick ovens to solve the issue of heat loss when opening a pizza oven during busy service.

Another priority over the last 18 months has been optimizing all digital platforms, including the online ordering and mobile platforms, point of sale, third-party integrations, and a revamped Loyalty Program — all of which are now updated and ready for franchise growth.

Innovation has been key to Mici's success during COVID-19. While many restaurants have stalled or closed, Mici was well-prepared to move to a completely online and touch-free, curbside pickup and delivery-only model. It also created at-home Pizza Kits, which are now part of its brand identity permanently, and pivoted to deliver wine and beer to customers. Lastly, it sent food daily to local hospitals and first responders — all while retaining all of their employees and keeping everyone healthy, according to the release.