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

Smashburger Bolsters Leadership Around Marketing, Growth, and Operations

20 May 2026

Smashburger, the fast-casual restaurant company that popularized smashed burgers, announced the appointment of Kate Savelli as Chief Marketing Officer. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Kate will lead brand, consumer, menu and partnership strategies designed to accelerate Smashburger’s nationwide momentum. In addition, the company announced it has named Theresa Vitale

Read full article at QSR Magazine →

Michele's take

Smashburger stacking leadership across marketing, growth, and operations simultaneously is a deliberate signal — this isn't a single hire to plug a gap, it's a structural reset ahead of a scaling push. When a brand moves on multiple C-suite fronts at once, it typically means the ownership or board has aligned on a growth thesis and is now building the execution infrastructure to support it. Franchise investors and potential development partners should watch how quickly this team coheres and whether the marketing and operations appointments are calibrated to drive franchisee-level unit economics, not just brand awareness.

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