Pizza Toscana debuts in the UK

Owner Stefano Cresci, who started the Pizza Toscana concept at his restaurant La Bussola in Florence, has taken over the La Scala site in Wardour Street and will re-open it under its new name this week. 

Cresci said: "I couldn’t have wished for a better location to start in London, this is a high footfall area which is busy almost 24/7. The excellent mix of business, tourist and some residential customers makes it ideal for this new and exciting venture."

The 92-cover two-storey restaurant will serve a core of five pizzas - named simply Pizza 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 - which are topped with Tuscan ingredients: Pizza Toscana pizzas use pecorino cheese instead of mozzarella and chopped Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes replace passata. Starters, other mains and desserts will also be served. 

Cresci said his simple concept had become popular with locals and an international clientele and had been frequently asked when it would come to London, so had decided to launch now in the UK. 

The London launch was  evaluated, negotiated and supported by international management consulting firm BRD Consulting, which specialises in developing high quality brands for the retail, on trade and franchise sectors, with a particular focus on hospitality. 

Cresci is already planning to open a second Pizza Toscana in Central London next summer.