Finiper is stepping up its efforts in the catering sector and launching Altrove, the first kitchen from ‘Il Viaggiator goloso’

Competition is heating up amongst large-scale retail chains entering the catering sector. Amongst the best-positioned is the Finiper Canova Group, founded by Marco Brunelli, who created the first Ristò 40 years ago – a concept offering traditional Italian dishes. The Group currently operates six catering brands across around a hundred outlets: Giannasi (spit-roasted chicken) with three outlets plus one food truck; Rom’antica (Roman-style pizza) with over 60 outlets throughout Italia; Truck Food with 12 active food trucks; the Cremamore ice-cream parlours with over 10 outlets; and finally, 11 Iper restaurants, 5 Portello Cafés and 5 Ristòs. All these outlets have been developed within the Group’s shopping centres. Then there is Altrove – Il Viaggiator Goloso, a premium brand of the Finiper Canova Group, a restaurant that is the first to operate outside the Group’s traditional remit, having opened in the CityLife Shopping District in Milan. “This is a trial to gauge the market’s response and Altrove’s potential,” say representatives from Finiper, which, amongst other things, opened ‘Il Maestoso’ in Monza in 2019: on the ground floor, a traditional supermarket, whilst on the first floor is La Corte del Maestoso by Iper, a restaurant offering table service and a menu featuring grilled meat and fish specialities, pizzas, Asian dishes and Italian cuisine, as well as an extensive wine cellar and a brewery. A project conceived and overseen by Marco Brunelli, who at the time sought to create a unique concept.

Esselunga is also stepping up its efforts in the catering sector with the opening, a few weeks ago, of a bistro-restaurant with a cocktail bar in Milan, in the central Piazza Risorgimento, inside a LaEsse store – a supermarket for everyday shopping.

For Finiper, on the other hand, there’s a change of pace with Altrove, a proper restaurant-bistro that could one day become a new casual dining chain. On the ground floor is the bar-café, the Bistrot with a wide selection of ready-to-takeaway dishes or meals cooked to order to eat in, and a Dim Sum corner dedicated to Asian cuisine. Upstairs is the main restaurant, seating around 330 guests, serving lunch and dinner with specialities enhanced by the offerings from Il Viaggiator Goloso, whilst the pizzeria serves pizzas made with sourdough. There is also a lounge bar and an outdoor seating area set against the backdrop of the Tre Torri. On the second floor is a multi-purpose space hosting initiatives and events. The average daily footfall is around a thousand people. “For us, ‘Altrove’ represents both an evolution and, at the same time, a confirmation,” explains Stefano Borsoi, marketing director of the Finiper Canova Group and head of the ‘Il Viaggiator Goloso’ division. “It is an evolution because we are taking Viaggiator Goloso into a whole new experiential dimension, where food is a story, a discovery and a shared emotion. It is a confirmation because the values that guide us remain unchanged and the essence of the brand – the flavour of discovery – is expressed and celebrated even more.”

The design was entrusted to Michele De Lucchi’s architectural practice, AMDL Circle, whilst Altrove’s visual identity was developed by Cean and Punto Studio, the Finiper Group’s in-house creative agency, which drew inspiration from the world of maps and atlases, where coordinates and nautical symbols guide the customer like entries in a traveller’s logbook. The industrial style blends harmoniously with warm furnishings and materials, such as wood, mirrors and light, creating an elegant and welcoming atmosphere. Adding further depth to the project are three works by the Italian street artists Sten & Lex, who are among the best known internationally; through their ‘Stencil Poster’ technique, they invite reflection on the concept of maps and borders.