Ynot Italian is a family owned and operated business that started with one small location in Virginia Beach in 1993. Over the years, their high-quality, hand-crafted food has gained so much in popularity, they now have seven locations in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake.
Now the owners are looking to go regional.
“We’ve been a brand for 28 years, and we’ve really perfected that over that time,” said Tony DiSilvestro, Founder and CEO (FYI, Ynot is Tony spelled backwards). “We’ve worked out the processes over the years, and now we’re ready to expand and take it to the next level.”
The company is looking to expand west into Richmond, north into Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and south into North Carolina. That could mean one or more locations on the Peninsula, although no potential locations have been identified at this point.
“We’re looking for franchisees right now,” said DiSilevestro. “If there are franchisees on the Peninsula that are interested, we’re interested in talking. We’re looking for someone that has some restaurant experience, but really, our Express locations are not an overly complicated system. So, we’re looking for people who want to be in the restaurant business and have some business savviness.”
DiSilvestro estimates the start-up costs for a franchise would be around $400,000 to $500,000, depending on the facility. There’s also a $50,000 franchise fee that includes brand support, a designated market area, and more.
Will Ynot eventually become a national brand? “We’re going to be regional for now, for sure, but I never like to talk too far ahead,” said DiSilvestro. “I want to build one successful franchisee at a time, so it’s really not about the numbers. It’s about having an amazing franchisee and creating a great business.”
Anyone interested in a franchise opportunity can visit the Franchise page of the company’s website.
