Japes signs first franchise deal for Camden restaurant

Facilitated by food franchising specialist Seeds Consulting, the restaurant will open in the former Masala Zone site in Parkway. It will be the group’s third location, join its sites in Greenwich and Soho.

The new Camden restaurant will be headed by London-based entrepreneur and existing UK food franchisee Ajmeet Singh, who intends to open further Japes franchises in the future.

“Having been a regular pizza enthusiast, I decided to venture into the pizzeria business because I find it incredibly innovative with immense potential,” he says.

“This journey excites me, and I firmly believe that together, we will create a landmark in the world of delicious pizzas. I’m eager to share this culinary adventure with Japes.”

Japes was founded in 2018 by Alex and Jovana Aleksić and was inspired by the Chicago style pizza restaurants of the US. The pair announced last year ​​that they were looking to open their first franchise site as part of their expansion plans for the brand.

“Japes’ Chicago- and London-style deep-dish pizzas have generated a tremendous following, the franchise is proving equally popular,” says Matteo Frigeri, managing director at Seeds Consulting.

“This is not a surprise: not only Japes does pizza in its own unique way, but it is also very scalable. They have said arrivederci to pizzaiolos and do not require any serious extraction. We are confident Ajmeet will do well, he is targeting multiple locations.”