La Porchetta /por'ket:a/ is a restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

 franchise

Franchising

Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, and Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

 which has become one of the most successful Italian

Italian cuisine

Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...

 restaurants in these nations.

The restaurant chain was established in 1985 by Rocco Pantaleo

Rocco Pantaleo

Rocco Pantaleo was an Australian businessman.Born in Calabria, Italy, he emigrated to Australia in 1977 to find work. In 1985 he co-founded the La Porchetta restaurant chain. By the time of his 2010 death it had grown to 80 restaurants.In 1996, he shot dead Keith Lane...

 and Felice Nania when they bought a run-down pizza parlour called La Porchetta in Rathdowne Street Carlton

Carlton, Victoria

Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...

 . Their first franchise restaurant opened in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir, Victoria

Reservoir, Victoria

Reservoir is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Reservoir had a population of 45,970....

in 1990. Since 1990, over 80 La Porchettas have opened across Australia. While the main focus of La Porchetta's menu is pizza and pasta, they also serve risotto, seafood and meat dishes, salads, as well as various desserts and coffees.

In 2000, La Porchetta launched 'La Porchetta Pronto', which offers a wide range of takeaway. Mostly, 'La Porchetta Pronto' operates out of shopping centers. Rocco Pantaleo died in a motorcycle accident in 2010 at age 53.

External links

• Porchetta official website - Australia & New Zealand