From left, Mici Handcrafted’s Italian franchisees Lucas Farnham and David Doty and CEO Elliot Schiffer. (Courtesy Mici Handcrafted Italian)
Mici Handcrafted Italian brings its family recipes to Arizona.
The local Italian chain announced last week that it would begin franchising outside of the state for the first time after signing a deal for 30 franchise locations in the Phoenix area that is expected to open over the next seven to eight years will.
“It took a long time for the family,” said CEO Elliot Schiffer. “It has always been a dream for the Micelis. Realizing this dream and at the same time holding onto our market in Colorado and our corporate business here is the best of both worlds. “
The chain was founded in 2004 by the Miceli siblings Jeff, Michael and Kim. Schiffer joined the company as CEO in 2017.
Phoenix’s franchise locations will be owned by Lucas Farnham and David Doty. Farnham has been a long-time operator of Black Bear Diner and Smashburger franchises in Colorado Springs and Aurora. Doty, who previously ran the Black Bear Diners and Smashburger franchises in Phoenix, has been CEO of Mici since Schiffer.
Mici Handcrafted Italian was founded in 2004 by Miceli siblings Jeff, Michael and Kim who used family recipes that were passed down through the generations in creating the menu. (Courtesy City Pine Creative)
“Between Lucas’ operational prowess and David’s operations and development in Phoenix, they seemed like the perfect franchise partners to work with,” said Schiffer. “If you want to do it on a large scale and conquer the entire market, it is especially important to know that you as a team have the ability to implement this vision.”
Schiffer expects the opening of the first locations in Phoenix in the first quarter of 2022.
Known for its pizza and pasta, Mici has six corporate locations in Parker, Highlands Ranch, Lafayette, Denver, and Colorado Springs. Schiffer said all restaurants are “at an all-time high in sales”.
The company is preparing to open a second take-away-only location in Colorado Springs in December.
Mici recently hired Matt Stanton, formerly Chief Development Officer of WellBiz Brands, to lead its expansion and growth path as Mici’s Chief Growth Officer.
“We expect a few different groups to fly in from all over the country over the next few months to see Mici and view it as a franchise opportunity,” Schiffer said. “We’re getting a lot of traction on the franchise front and will be announcing another government expansion shortly.”
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