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 by email 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.

QSR Magazine

Wendy’s Franchise Association Welcomes Appointment of CEO Bob Wright

20 May 2026

The Wendy’s Franchise Association (WFA), which represents nearly 80% of Wendy’s franchised restaurants, today welcomed the appointment of Bob Wright as President and CEO of Wendy’s. Given Wright’s deep knowledge of the brand and its history, the WFA views this transition as a meaningful opportunity to reinforce Wendy’s strong culture and build on its legacy […] The post Wendy’s F

Read full article at QSR Magazine →

Michele's take

When a franchise association representing 80% of the network publicly endorses a new CEO appointment, that's not a courtesy gesture — it's a signal that franchisee-franchisor relations were strained enough under previous leadership that alignment at the top now feels noteworthy. For the broader QSR franchise industry, this is a reminder that operator buy-in isn't just a cultural nicety; it's a prerequisite for executing on anything from menu innovation to remodel programs to pricing strategy. Wright inherits both the goodwill of this moment and the weight of franchisee expectations — how quickly he translates that goodwill into tangible operational and financial support will define whether this transition becomes a genuine inflection point or just a honeymoon period.

← View all news