Industry News is Sponsored by HEWI
Big Mamma Group, the internationally acclaimed restaurant collective known for Pink Mamma in Paris, Carlotta in London and Gloria Osteria in Milan, announces its arrival in the United States with a new restaurant opening in Juno Beach in late 2026.
Big Mamma Group is built on a deceptively simple idea, that great Italian food starts not in the kitchen, but in the fields of Emilia-Romagna, the markets of Puglia, and in the hands of over 200 artisanal producers. The Paris-born group brings to South Florida an Italian experience that is as much about people as it is about products; With produce sourced directly from family-run Italian suppliers, such as 24-month aged Prosciutto di Parma DOP from Paolo and Gianfranco Leoncini and fresh mozzarella from Salvatore Corso in Napoli, and 100% homemade uncompromisingly Italian recipes, think fresh pasta crafted on-site to authentic Italian gelato. The first restaurant group in Europe to be certified B-Corp in 2018, reflecting its commitment to people, planet, and purpose, Big Mamma operates on a belief that might sound simple but is rarely practiced: happy staff makes happy guests. Founded in 2013 by Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, with 35 locations across 9 countries and nearly 3,000 team members, the groups has earned a devoted global following for its ability to transport guests to Italy — through exceptional product-led Italian food, immersive design, and, above all, the energy of the people who bring the restaurants to life every day.
“We didn’t build Big Mamma to open restaurants.” says Tigrane Seydoux, Co-Founder of Big Mamma Group. “We built it to change lives, those of our teams, because a full
restaurant is one where people want to work. When your team is genuinely happy, guests feel it the moment they walk in — it’s an energy that spreads, it’s contagious. The food has to be exceptional because it’s the foundation. But what people remember is the feeling. That’s what we’re bringing to Florida.”
Seydoux’s commitment to this new chapter is personal. “I’ve seen firsthand how going the extra mile can shape the trajectory of a business. When we opened Bel Mondo and Circolo Popolare in Madrid, I moved there to oversee the launch. Now, as we bring Big Mamma to the U.S., I’ve relocated to South Florida with my wife and my three kids. This isn’t simply an expansion it’s a change of life and a unique opportunity to share our unique approach to Italian hospitality with a new audience.”
South Florida’s energy, diversity, and culinary curiosity make it the right launchpad, and two standalone partnerships will be instrumental in grounding this project in the community it will serve, and to ensure Big Mamma’s arrival is not just an import, but a genuine contribution to South Florida’s dining scene. Big Mamma has joined forces with Carmine Giardini, founder of Carmine’s Gourmet Market & La Trattoria, a Palm Beach institution with over 38 years of history and deep roots in authentic Italian produce, which will provide the ideal local foundation. Whilst Ballyhoo Hospitality, a Chicago-based group founded by Ryan O’Donnell and Jon Farrer, brings unmatched expertise in creating warm, community-driven restaurant experiences to complement Big Mamma’s ethos – the first restaurant of which will be the opening in Palm Beach County at the end of the year.
More than just a restaurant, Big Mamma Group is on a mission to create a place where guests come together to celebrate, connect, and escape; where hospitality is heartfelt,
food is abundant, and the joy in the room is something you feel before you’ve even sat down.