Great maneuvers in the house of Alice Pizza, the chain controlled by the idea Taste of Italy (private equity fund specialized in the agribusiness managed by goddess Dea Capital Alternative Funds Sgr) that last month in collaboration with Chef Express opened the first pizzeria in an airport. According to rumors reported by Sole 24 Ore, Idea Taste of Italy (which controls the chain from 2019) would begin to deal with some funds with a view to the sale of the pizza chain.

In contention among the claimants there would be the private equity Clessidra, which currently has in its portfolio some companies of food&beverage, but not foodservice chains: an example is Everton tea, acquired last year in May o Molino Nicoli, of which the fund obtained a few months ago the exclusive right to negotiate the investment in the company. 

Idea Taste of Italy, Italian fund managed by goddess Capital Alternative Funds sgr, had acquired in March 2019 70% of Me&Alice srl, the chain management company: subsequently, was born Alice Pizza s.p.a, result of the merger by incorporation of Alice Pizza Holding S.r.l. into Me&Alice S.r.l., the latter transformed into a joint stock company and renamed, in fact, Alice Pizza s.p.a. Alice Pizza is attributed a total turnover estimated at about 100 million Euros.

The exit of Dea Capital from Alice Pizza has been in the air since the beginning of this year or at least is one of the most anticipated operations by M&A experts. In fact, analysts say, it is part of the strategy of private equity, at the end of a development path of about 5 years. Led by Claudio Baitelli, Alice Pizza counts on about 200 stores: those under direct management are about half and are headed by the subsidiary Alice Pizza Negozi (34 million Euros in revenues in 2022). The other stores are franchised.