I1 Fornaio Expands Bakery Operations in California

I1 Fornaio (America) Corp. (Corte Madera, CA) has signed a lease to open a new artisan bakery in Gardena, CA. The planned 13,000-sqft "panificio" will consolidate three smaller bakeries and service I1 Fornaio's wholesale business in Southern California. The company provides breads, pastries, cakes, cookies and other homemade Italian baked goods to select retailers in addition to its own restaurants and retail bakeries.

"Demand for I1 Fornaio's authentic Italian baked goods and artisan breads continues to grow," said Mike Hislop, I1 Fornaio's CEO. "We expect this bakery to allow us to both increase capacity and maintain the quality we're known for, something we have already accomplished in Northern California."

In 1997 the company consolidated two smaller bakeries in the San Francisco Bay Area to a single 12,000-sqft facility in Burlingame, CA. "Our object is to repeat this accomplishment in Southern California, and we are evaluating the possibility of building more bakeries like these in other markets across the U.S.," said Hislop.

I1 Fornaio (America) Corp. owns and operates 17 Italian restaurants in addition to five wholesale bakeries that produce homemade breads and other baked goods for sale in its own locations and to grocery stores, coffee retailers and hotels. The company plans to open four more restaurants in the U.S by the end of 1999.