Pasta Evangelists

About Pasta Evangelists

Delivery start-up Pasta Evangelists was founded in 2016 by Alessandro Savelli, Chris Rennoldson and Finn Lagun. It first entered the takeaway market with a single unit in east London but now operates circa 50 takeaway units. In the summer of 2024, it opened its first restaurant site and told Propel it thinks it can have more than 100 sites under the new concept across the UK.

Savelli told City AM that Pasta Evangelists’ expansion into bricks-and-mortar is only the start of a big shift for the company as it moves from a takeaway service to an in-person one. He said: “Our physical stores are becoming our number one channel to express the brands.” He added that the opportunity is “a global one” for Pasta Evangelists. He said: “We’ve got many international players interested from the Middle East, south east Asia, Greater China, from the US, Ireland, Greece. We need to be ambitious [because] there are many amazing opportunities out there. The vision is to have hundreds of these all over the world. Italian food is a product that can be transported anywhere.”

In November 2024, Pasta Evangelists opened its debut airport site, at Manchester airport Terminal 2, which also offered its first breakfast menu. The following month, the business told Propel that it is aiming to grow the number of its franchise restaurant sites to 15 in 2025. In April 2025, Pasta Evangelists made its hotel debut with an opening at Splendid Hospitality Group’s No. 88 Walmgate at Hotel Indigo York.

That same month, the company told Propel it was in contact with possible partners in the US and China and said that the “world is our oyster” when it comes to the brand’s expansion. In July 2025, co-founder Alessandro Savelli said the future of the business “is the USA” and that he believes the brand can conquer the US market. In January 2026, the company said it was closing in on its debut US location, with Los Angeles a likely location.

In June 2026, Pasta Evangelists said it was expanding its then 11-strong restaurant portfolio with three new openings this summer - in London's Shoreditch and Soho, as well as Winchester (which at 131 coverts will be the company’s largest restaurant to date).

Co-founder Finn Lagun said in August 2026 that he is stepping away from the business to “begin a new chapter in Madrid”. He said: “After almost a decade, it’s time to say goodbye to Pasta Evangelists. When I co-founded the business with Alessandro Savelli and Chris Rennoldson in late 2017, I couldn't have imagined what the next nine years had in store. In early 2020, when the world changed, we were lucky to be among the few businesses for whom it changed for the better: Pasta Evangelists grew five-fold in a month. We packed orders in hazmat suits and gas masks. It felt apocalyptic, but riveting.

“As the pandemic gave way to more hopeful days, we sold the business, partnering with Barilla Group, the most iconic Italian food company. Then, in 2024, our restaurant revolution began, with our business changing practically overnight from direct-to-consumer e-commerce to hospitality. As our first restaurant opened that summer in Richmond, I couldn't have felt prouder.”

Why franchise with Pasta Evangelists

• ✓The company said it is the number one pasta brand in the UK, with 60% growth year on year and national brand recognition. It said it offers premium and delicious food with five minutes average prep time. Its format is flexible and adaptable to fit in a variety of locations. Sites can include a Pasta Academy, which can host more 20 masterclass events per week.
• ✓It said: “We look for large, well-capitalised companies that are capable of investing in the short and long term. Our ideal partners are ready to open and run several restaurants in adjacent territories. An excellent network to secure prime real estate locations is key. Although it’s not indispensable, previous experience is appreciated.
• ✓We like to partner up with companies and leaders that share our vision.”