The Italian catering industry has digitised almost everything, except itself. Over the last ten years, we have seen the introduction of management systems, booking software, delivery platforms and advanced payment systems. These are useful tools, each effective within its own sphere, but they rarely communicate with one another. The result is a sector rich in technology but lacking in infrastructure: the data exists, but it remains locked away in silos that prevent comparisons, assessments or informed investment decisions.
It is within this void that it is situated Lovemarker, the project announced last year by Simone Ciaruffoli, an entrepreneur known for founding Burgez and for a communication style that has set the standard in the Italian food industry. We were among the first to report the news, with a long interview to the relevant party. The stated aim is ambitious: to support the hospitality sector in its transition from offline to online by building an ecosystem in which brands become more visible, more measurable and more accessible to entrepreneurs, investors and partners.
A showcase, but also a market
According to the company’s description, Lovemarker operates on two fronts. On the one hand, it is a digital showcase where hospitality brands can tell their story and highlight their achievements. On the other, it is a platform where investors and industry professionals can identify opportunities for investment, acquisition, franchising and development. The business model is that of a venture builder.
It is the logic of the marketplace applied to a sector that has so far been without it. Anyone who has tried to value an Italian restaurant brand for an M&A or franchising deal is familiar with the problem: the figures are piecemeal, often self-reported, and difficult to compare across different brands. That lack of transparency comes at a cost and affects both sides of the table.
The three partners and what they bring to the table
To build the infrastructure, Ciaruffoli chose not to do everything in-house, but to bring together specialists, each with a specific role.
MyButler It is the cornerstone of information. Thanks to its integration with restaurant management systems, it collects certified operational data and KPIs updated in real time, building a consistent information base. For brands, this means being able to measure their performance and compare it against market benchmarks. For investors, on the other hand, it means having an objective snapshot of the businesses within the ecosystem, thereby reducing uncertainty in valuations.
Nexcomply covers the transactional aspect and regulatory compliance. Through the proprietary Martello protocol, which is dedicated to the digital management of financial instruments and investment transactions, will help to build a compliant and scalable framework capable of supporting fundraising, investments, acquisitions and the development of the platform’s brands. It is the element that transforms a showcase into a place where transactions are actually concluded.
Upper Beast Side, led by Ciaruffoli himself, specialising in strategic brand development, will work on the identity, positioning and communication of the companies featured on the platform. In other words: translating data and results into brand value that is recognisable to the market, because a good EBITDA figure alone does not explain why a brand is successful.
From the Burgez experience to an industry model
The project was explicitly conceived as an attempt to systematise the entrepreneurial experience gained through Burgez. The chain – which, as the press release claims, brought the ‘smash burger’ to Italy before it became a widespread phenomenon – continues to exist independently of its creator. The underlying idea is that what a single entrepreneur has learnt to do with a brand can become a framework for many.
It remains to be seen how long this will take and what the actual scale will be. It will be up to restaurateurs to decide whether the ecosystem can achieve the necessary critical mass: a platform of this kind is only as valuable as the number of brands using it, and the first few years are the most crucial.
If the scheme proves successful, however, the prospect is an interesting one even beyond the scope of this individual project. It would mean that the Italian food industry has stopped viewing itself as a sector made up of individual stories and has begun to treat itself as a market: with comparable data, shared evaluation criteria and investors who know where to look.
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