Who owns Franco Manca?

A Japanese restaurant group. Franco Manca belongs to Toridoll Holdings, a company listed in Tokyo and best known in the UK for Marugame Udon. Toridoll bought Franco Manca's parent, The Fulham Shore, for about £93 million in July 2023. Toridoll's founder, Takaya Awata, is its largest shareholder.

It has had a hard 2026. In May a company voluntary arrangement, a deal with its creditors, let Franco Manca close 16 of its pizzerias, including the Brixton restaurant where it began.

What does the register show?

The pizzerias are run by Franco Manca 2 UK Limited, company number 07045067, incorporated on 15 October 2009 and registered in Soho, London. Companies House currently lists its status as "Voluntary Arrangement".

Its persons-with-significant-control register names Franco Manca Holdings Limited, with 75% or more. Above that the chain runs to The Fulham Shore Limited and then to The Fulham Shore Group Limited, company 14744178, set up in March 2023 as the vehicle for the takeover. Its registered owner is Toridoll Holdings Corporation, a Japanese company registered in Kobe, with 75% or more of the shares and votes and the right to appoint the board.

Franco Manca's accounts confirm it: they name Toridoll Holdings Corporation as "the Company's ultimate parent undertaking".

Who owns Toridoll?

Toridoll Holdings is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Its founder and president, Takaya Awata, who set the company up in 1990, holds about 31% of its shares, and a company called T&T holds about 12%, according to a summary of its latest Japanese annual securities report. Toridoll's best-known brand is Marugame Seimen, sold in the UK as Marugame Udon.

How did Franco Manca come to be owned this way?

Franco Manca began in 2008, when Giuseppe Mascoli took over Franco's, a pizzeria in Market Row, Brixton, that had been there since 1986.

In March 2015 The Fulham Shore, a small restaurant group listed on AIM and run by David Page, agreed to buy 99% of Franco Manca's owner for £27.5 million, mostly in new shares, when the chain had ten London restaurants. Its announcement lists Mascoli among the sellers. Fulham Shore grew it to more than 70 pizzerias, alongside its other chain, The Real Greek.

Toridoll's offer for Fulham Shore was announced on 5 April 2023: 14.15p a share, about £93.4 million in all, made in partnership with the private equity firm Capdesia, its partner on Marugame Udon in the UK. The takeover took effect on 11 July 2023, and Fulham Shore left AIM.

Why did Franco Manca close restaurants in 2026?

Because it was losing money. Franco Manca's accounts for the year to 30 March 2025 show turnover of £68.8 million, down 1.8%, and a loss of £5.3 million for the year, after a loss of £3.2 million the year before. At that point it had 72 UK pizzerias and an average of 1,296 staff, and it depended on a loan facility of £20.75 million from Toridoll.

In February 2026 Fulham Shore hired the advisers Alvarez & Marsal to review its options, and Toridoll warned of "a substantial number of underperforming sites". The voluntary arrangement that followed took effect on 5 May 2026. In the accounts' words, it "allowed the exit of 16 loss making sites and reduced the rent on a further number of sites", with about 225 jobs affected. The closures included Brixton, Broadway Market, Stoke Newington, Glasgow and Lincoln. The Real Greek was sold separately to the owner of Côte that spring, and Fulham Shore's chief executive, Marcel Khan, stepped down in June.

How big is Franco Manca now?

Its website listed 47 pizzerias in October 2026, down from 72 in March 2025. Accounts for the year to March 2026, which will show the closures, are due by the end of December 2026.

Is Franco Manca independent?

Not by our verified independent badge, which marks a locally and privately owned business rather than a chain, franchise or private-equity estate. Franco Manca is a national chain owned by a listed Japanese group.

The useful label is restaurant chain, owned by a listed Japanese company. It started as one market pizzeria in Brixton and has not been independent since 2015. For another chain that began in a Brixton market and is now backed by investors, see who owns Honest Burgers.

For independent pizzerias and restaurants owned by the people who run them, see our restaurants in Lincoln and restaurants in Hackney E8.

Questions people ask

Is Franco Manca Italian?

The pizza is Neapolitan-style and its founder is Italian, but the business started in London and is now owned from Japan.

Is Franco Manca owned by Marugame Udon?

Not exactly: both belong to Toridoll Holdings. Marugame Udon is Toridoll's own brand; Franco Manca came with its 2023 purchase of Fulham Shore.

Is Franco Manca closing down?

Not as a chain. It closed 16 restaurants under its 2026 voluntary arrangement and still listed 47 on its website in October 2026.

Did Franco Manca's Brixton restaurant close?

Yes. The restaurant in Brixton, where Franco Manca began, was one of the 16 closed in 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026. This article uses the Companies House records, persons-with-significant-control registers and filing histories of Franco Manca 2 UK Limited (company 07045067), Franco Manca Holdings Limited (06690296), The Fulham Shore Limited (07973930) and The Fulham Shore Group Limited (14744178), including Franco Manca's notice that its voluntary arrangement took effect on 5 May 2026 and its accounts for the 52 weeks to 30 March 2025; The Fulham Shore's announcements of 30 March 2015, 9 June 2023 and 11 July 2023; reports by The Caterer (5 April 2023), Restaurant Online (23 and 27 February, 15 April and 26 May 2026), PA Media (May 2026) and Brixton Buzz (16 April 2026); Franco Manca's restaurant list on its website, read 16 October 2026; and a summary of Toridoll's annual securities report. What is not claimed: Capdesia's share of the group, if any remains, since the register shows only Toridoll; the exact shareholdings in Toridoll, which come from a secondary summary; who owns T&T; and why the restaurant count on the website is lower than the roughly 54 reported after the closures. If you spot something that needs correcting, email Highstreett and we will review it.