Victorian-based Town & Country Pizza & Pasta has unveiled its first interstate location, in the Margaret River area of Western Australian. 

Joe Rossi, managing director and son of the founder, said it was a strategic decision to secure a site in the tourist region.

A low-key introduction for the restaurant brand’s first interstate location was also deliberate, Rossi told Franchise Executives.

“Town & Country is a regional brand in Victoria. We’re working our way into metro areas, and we’re taking the same approach in WA. We liked the idea of a local town as our first location,” he said.

“We’ve treated the interstate launch as if we were starting the brand again. So the focus is on executing this one store opening really well with the goal of getting this off the ground.”

Rossi is confident that opening a store in Western Australian will prove the team can expand anywhere nationally.

Opportunities for growth

“We’ve overcome the supply chain issues, and we’re really comfortable with our arrangements,” he explained. 

“There is a tremendous opportunity in WA and we’ll continue our focus here but we’d like to be in every state in 18 months,” Rossi said.

“While we have set up the infrastructure to scale the business,  we don’t have a plan to rollout 20 locations. We want to grow this properly.”

The new WA restaurant in the Cowaramup is helmed by franchisee and former Town & Country employee Chloe Pike.

This story was originally published on Franchise Executives.