In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, Glenn sits down with David Ciantar, Group General Manager of Fabe (Food and Beverage Enterprises), the parent company behind Piccolo Me and Sol Bowl.
Episode Timeline
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:21 – What is Fabe
- 1:03 – Why acquire brands and how Sol Bowl entered the picture
- 2:28 – How Piccolo Me franchisees reacted to the Sol Bowl acquisition
- 3:49 – Should founders stay on after an acquisition
- 5:55 – Would Fabe pursue QSR or non-cafe brands in the future
- 7:54 – What makes a concept “pop” and worth acquiring
- 9:28 – Key learnings from the first 12 months of owning Sol Bowl
- 10:30 – Can Piccolo Me and Sol Bowl operate as co-brands in shared locations
- 12:21 – Why Fabe chose Lebanon for its first international, co-branded store
- 13:24 – Wrap up
David shares how Fabe approaches brand acquisitions, what it takes to integrate a new franchise concept, and why long-term planning matters when building a multi-brand portfolio.
He also explains how Fabe prepares franchisees, communicates acquisitions internally, and maintains strong brand differentiation across its network.
David also gives a behind-the-scenes look into Sol Bowl’s rebrand, co-branded store models, and Fabe’s expansion strategy into new states and even internationally including their first co-branded Piccolo Me x Sol Bowl store in Lebanon.
If you’re curious about franchise growth, acquisitions, and multi-brand strategy done right, this episode is packed with insights.
