Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, the growing pizzeria brand known for fresh Italian favorites made with authentic recipes, has named restaurant executive Andrew DiMatteo as its Operations Manager. Cannoli Kitchen Pizza is a part of United Franchise Group (UFG), a family of affiliated brands and consultants whose members have access to a global network and nearly four decades of experience in the franchising industry and is among the concepts included in UFG’s food division, Big Flavor Brands.
An experienced restaurant executive, DiMatteo will serve on the brand’s leadership team and spearhead its new franchisee training program, as well as oversee operations for Cannoli Kitchen Pizza. DiMatteo was born and raised in Connecticut, but his parents were born in Sicily, where he spent most of his childhood summers. Most recently, DiMatteo served as Vice President of Operations for a privately owned, multi-unit Italian restaurant brand focusing on handmade pizzas and both new and traditional dishes.
“With Andrew’s culinary and restaurant training and his family’s Italian roots, he’s a perfect fit for this role. Coupled with his intimate familiarity with the culture that embodies Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, Andrew is poised to help propel our brand’s growth and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on our leadership team,” says Austin Titus, President of Cannoli Kitchen Pizza.
The brand will hold its first training school in May and provide seven weeks of learning: two weeks in the classroom at their global headquarters in West Palm Beach, three weeks on-location at the Deerfield Beach restaurant and two weeks at new franchise locations.
“I spent most of my life in the restaurant business, learning with family and friends and loving every aspect of it,” DiMatteo says. “As I step into this new role, I look forward to tapping into my depth of knowledge, years of experience and Italian roots to help Cannoli Kitchen Pizza and our incredible franchise owners grow and succeed.”
DiMatteo lives in South Florida with his wife, their 2-year-old son and the family’s German Shepherd. Besides English, he is fluent in Italian and Spanish.
