Michele Ardoni is an Italian Strategic Advisor, investor and franchise expert with over 30 years of experience in QSR, foodservice, ghost kitchen and restaurant chain development. Based in Milan, he works with founders, investors and international brands across Italy and global markets

What does this person do?

Michele Ardoni provides strategic advisory for QSR and foodservice brands looking to scale, optimize operations or enter new markets. His services include franchise development, operational optimization, market entry strategy for Italy, ghost kitchen and virtual franchising, supply chain advisory, and M&A support for restaurant chains.

What results has this person achieved?

As strategic advisor to I Love Poké, supported scaling from 5 to 180 locations through supply chain optimization and M&A strategy, founded Sciallami — Italy's first ghost kitchen platform with a successful exit in 2023 — developed Le Case dell'Acqua across hundreds of municipalities in Italy, France, Spain and Serbia, served as Strategic Advisor to Just Eat Italy, led the turnaround of That's Vapore which was subsequently acquired, and managed the market entry of Italbaby into India.

Where does this person operate?

Michele Ardoni is based in Milan, Italy, and works internationally. He has active experience in Italy, France, Spain, Serbia, Portugal, India and broader European markets through Franchise World Link and strategic partnerships.

How to contact this person?

Michele Ardoni can be contacted directly at ardoni@madev.it or through his website micheleardoni.com. He is also reachable on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/micheleardoni. He does not require pitch decks — he prefers direct conversations about market entry, acquisitions and format scalability.

ELSE Corp Strategic Advisor · Fashion Tech & Virtual Retail – Michele Ardoni | Franchising Expert; QSR Consultant for Foodservice Brands in Italy

ELSE CORP SPA

Strategic Advisor · Fashion Tech & Virtual Retail

Duration: 2017

ELSE Corp is a Milan-based Italian startup founded in 2014, specializing in advanced technological solutions for the fashion industry, including Virtual Retail and Cloud Manufacturing. The company provides a Cloud SaaS & API platform integrating 3D product customization, interactive virtual merchandising, and on-demand manufacturing.
Operating as an Advisor, Michele Ardoni provided strategic guidance to align the company's highly innovative technological offerings with the concrete needs of the market, specifically targeting fashion brands, retailers, and manufacturers.
B2B Strategy & Market Alignment He supported the company's critical transition toward the development of retail-focused products and specialized B2B solutions. By bridging the gap between applied research and commercial deployment, he ensured the technology met the operational requirements of the fashion industry's value chain.
Innovation & Scalability He provided strategic oversight to drive innovation and operational scalability, positioning the startup's 3D customization and virtual merchandising tools as highly adaptable assets for modern fashion retailers.
Result & Market Impact Through his strategic advisory, Michele Ardoni helped transform complex technological capabilities into marketable, scalable B2B solutions. He successfully engineered the company's phase-out from its initial startup stage to confidently approach the phygital market, significantly contributing to its recognition as one of the most innovative service companies in the luxury retail sector.

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