LaBocca Expands to Telliskivi: Homegrown Restaurant Brand Grows into a Chain

LaBocca is opening a restaurant in the Telliskivi TLN business district, which marks a significant step for the company: having become a popular concept with its first restaurant in the Rotermann Quarter, the company is deliberately continuing to build a restaurant chain with the ambition to expand into a franchise model.

Tallinn's new dining star, the Italian restaurant LaBocca, which has established itself in less than a year at the Golden Gate development in the Rotermann Quarter, is opening its second location in the newly completed I4 building of the Telliskivi TLN business district at Telliskivi 60, on Reisijate Street.

According to LaBocca owner and founder Gert Kerde, Telliskivi has become a place where people come to eat and spend time, and where the abundance and high standard of Estonian gastronomy has concentrated. "LaBocca is a family-oriented restaurant created with shared spending of time and good tastes in mind. The new location in the heart of Kalamaja, in Tallinn's most accessible area, will be more than just a dining place. It will become a gathering place where experiences are created and which will quickly become Telliskivi's new attraction center, complementing the existing rich selection in the area," said Kerde.

Telliskivi TLN business district director Katrina Šokman noted that the addition of LaBocca reflects the direction of the area's development well. In recent years, Telliskivi has become Tallinn's most attractive business and lifestyle district. "Our goal is to create an environment where people come to spend time deliberately. LaBocca's concept fits very well into this vision, offering quality and accessible dining experiences to a wide target audience," said Šokman, adding that this was a deliberate choice – LaBocca was from the start one of the strongest candidates that they wanted to see in the Telliskivi business district. "Given the great interest, it was important to find a partner who would create added value to the area. LaBocca has both a strong concept and a clear ambition to grow – these are exactly the kind of actors we want to bring to Telliskivi."

The investment for the new restaurant is nearly one million euros and it covers more than 450 square meters of service space. During the summer period, an additional 100-square-meter sunny outdoor terrace will be added, located in Telliskivi Park. At the center of the restaurant is a specially designed interior, an open kitchen concept, and state-of-the-art equipment that allows for offering fresh and freshly prepared food very quickly. The restaurant opening is planned for mid-summer.

According to Gert Kerde, it was clear from the beginning that LaBocca would not be just one restaurant, but a brand that could be expanded both in Estonia and abroad. "LaBocca was created from the start with the idea that it could grow into a chain. The strength of our concept is simplicity and speed – the preparation time for pizzas, pastas, and salads ranges from 3 to 5 minutes, and daily production capacity reaches more than 1,000 pizzas. At the same time, we keep the price level accessible to customers – for example, the prices for pastas and 45-centimeter diameter pizzas start from 9.90 euros," explains Kerde.

The restaurant also offers lunch deals based on a regular menu at reasonable prices and positions itself deliberately for a wide target audience – from business clients to families. The concept centers on an exciting atmosphere where food is prepared in front of visitors and the emphasis is on sharing and gathering.

The restaurant added to Telliskivi will provide employment for approximately 50 people, with a team of about 20 members in each shift taking care of guests. The focus is on young and energetic people who are seen as part of the LaBocca family and whose role is to provide friendly and attentive service.

According to Kerde, the first restaurant, operating in the Rotermann Quarter, has exceeded all initial expectations. "Today, the LaBocca restaurant at Golden Gate is visited by an average of over 700 people per day, and the sales forecast for the first 12 months is 3.2 million euros. The strong reception and positive customer feedback have given us the confidence to further develop and expand the concept," said Kerde.

LaBocca is backed by domestic capital and a strong team with long-standing experience in launching and developing numerous well-known dining establishments, which creates the conditions to become one of the next success stories in the Estonian restaurant market.