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Urban Purveyor Group acquires Fratelli Fresh

The powerhouse behind Saké, Ananas Bar & Brasserie and The Argyle has acquired Sydney restaurant and retail group Fratelli Fresh.

Café Nice, Fratelli Fresh's southern-French bistro

Rob Shaw

Urban Purveyor Group, the powerhouse behind restaurants such as Saké, Ananas Bar & Brasserie and The Argyle, has acquired Sydney restaurant and retail group Fratelli Fresh. And boy do they have big plans.

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In the next few months, the group will open two new Fratelli Fresh venues: one in Sydney and the first-ever site in Melbourne. Later in the year, a pizza offshoot called The Slice Joint will also open in Sydney, with a large takeaway and delivery focus.

“Fratelli Fresh holds a special place in the hearts of Sydneysiders,” says Urban Purveyor Group CEO, Thomas Pash. “We believe we can easily scale the full-size Fratelli Fresh venues from six to more than 20, and the smaller pizza-centric venues to more than 100 locations over the next five years.”

Founded in 2004 by brothers and veteran Sydney providores Barry and Jamie McDonald, the popular Italian eatery/fruiterer has grown over the past 12 years to include four Fratelli Fresh retail stores, five Café Sopras (the first was above the original store in Waterloo) and a southern-French bistro, Café Nice.

“We started looking at potential groups to acquire about six months ago and Fratelli was at the top of our list,” says Pash. “When it comes to great Italian food and hospitality, Fratelli Fresh is positioned at the top.”

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As plans for expansion power ahead, the existing Fratelli Fresh venues won’t be forgotten: a number will be redeveloped with more seating and expanded bars in the coming months. Barry will stay on as an advisor, while his daughter, Nina Gravelis, Fratelli Fresh’s chief operating officer, will join Urban Purveyor Group as brand general manager. “Becoming part of an exciting and expanding casual dining group will allow us to quickly expand,” says Gravelis. “My father and I are thrilled.”

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