Text: Stuart Anderson

In 1988 founder Mateo Ferrero opened the first Lizarran Tavern in Spain, offering a selection of tapas dishes with a focus on product quality that allowed customers to enjoy the excellence of Spanish gastronomy in a traditional, rustic, cosy environment.

Since 1997, when the first franchised tavern opened under the Lizarran Tabernas Selectas brand, the network has grown to 160 restaurants in Spain and under Master Franchisees in Andorra (1999), Portugal (2000), Germany (2002), Mexico and California, USA (both 2004). Multi-franchise agreements have also been awarded in the French regions of Provence Alpes Cote D'azur and the South West, which will see the opening of 35 restaurants over the next four years. There are currently 22 restaurants open worldwide.

"The careful selection of the products offered by Lizarran forms an important part of the success of the franchise," says Oscar Vela, Grupo Lizarran's CEO. "When people go to any of our taverns, they are looking for something more than a meal. They want to enjoy their dishes and tapas and at the same time widen their knowledge of gastronomy and taste the wide variety of Spanish wines. For this reason, we provide continuous staff training to ensure customer service. The unquestionable quality of the products is the philosophical basis of the company."

The company's dedication to product quality has also seen it develop the Lizaran Origin Tradition quality label for its franchisees in Spain: a strict training and quality control plan which provides franchisees with complete information on how to handle food, how to maintain the refrigeration chain, expiry dates and a complete recipe for each product to be served on the premises in a homogeneous manner and in accordance with the rules and styles established by the Head Office. All products are supplied by the Head Office Purchasing and R&D Department, while ongoing business support is provided for the day-to-day management through Area Managers.

This systemised franchise package has seen a number of the group's franchisees in Spain become multi-unit owners, with approximately 50 per cent of all new openings done by existing franchisees. "Grupo Lizarran has stood out in providing franchisees with complete training in accordance with the standards of quality and attention demanded by the company," says Vela. "We mirror this commitment to franchisees in supporting our international network, placing the resources of our various departments at its disposal at all times."

The consolidated staff currently numbers over 1,000, and the group reported a turnover of €64 million last year (18 per cent up on its previous total of €54 million). "The international appeal of Spanish cuisine and the strength of the Lizarran concept, which leads the tapas sector in Spain and worldwide, has well prepared our brand for its international expansion," reflects Vela. "We are now looking to enter new markets by granting National or Regional Master Franchises to suitable candidate companies and/or individuals who recognise the opportunity to establish a chain of restaurants offering the highest quality tapas."