Blog
Notes from the kitchen.
Buying a restaurant in Tuscany: what the listings don't tell you
Short answer: you never buy a "licence" — you buy a business with its lease, staff and debts. Six checks before paying goodwill in Tuscany, from operators.
· Giacomo Penco Salvi
Who can help you open a restaurant in Italy? The 6 options, compared honestly
Lawyer, accountant, franchise, online course, consultant or operating partner: what each one actually does, where they stop, and what they cost. By a team that opens and runs restaurants in Italy.
· Giacomo Penco Salvi
How to own a restaurant in Italy while living in the US
You don't need to move to Italy to own a restaurant there: the operating partner model, weekly numbers across the ocean, and the legal scaffolding that works.
· Giacomo Penco Salvi
Restaurant licenses in Italy: SCIA, SAB and the 'preposto' route, explained by operators
There is no 'restaurant license' to buy in Italy: you file a SCIA. The SAB requirement and the legal preposto route, explained by operators.
· Giacomo Penco Salvi
Italy's investor visa for opening a restaurant: €250,000 or €500,000, explained by operators
How Italy's investor visa works for a restaurant project: the €250k/€500k thresholds, typical mistakes, and why investing in your own venue qualifies you.
· Giacomo Penco Salvi
What it really costs to open a restaurant in Tuscany (2026)
What it really costs to open a restaurant in Tuscany in 2026: honest ranges, the line items that surprise foreigners, and the numbers we verify on the ground.
· Giacomo Penco Salvi
Why QR ordering works on the floor (and why it fails)
A practical guide for restaurateurs: placement, wording, and a backup plan to actually make QR ordering work.
· Ordina