Big Mamma expands its gastronomic empire in Barcelona with a new tribute to the dolce vita

It was born in France. It was baptized in English. But it breathes Italy through all its senses. These eclectic and curious origins are what explain, in part, the success of Big Mamma's gastronomic empire, which already has 2,500 employees and some thirty restaurants in seven countries (France, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Monaco). After its first successful opening in Barcelona, with the inauguration in April of the osteria Gloria —which already accumulates long queues in front of its immense premises in Enric Granados—, the group falls in love with Barcelona again with Circolo Popolare, a new tribute to the flavors and atmosphere of southern Italy. 

The group faces this new adventure in the Catalan capital, scheduled for early December, with the same recipe that has led them to success: slow cooking. Founded in 2015 by two Frenchmen, Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, in love with Italian gastronomy. A cuisine they studied and discovered in depth before launching to set up the first restaurant in their native country in 2015. Almost without imagining it, these two entrepreneurs created an empire that gradually germinated in France and has now scaled to different European regions, from Madrid to London. 

The recipe is always the same, although the result is never identical, as they adapt to the taste and particularities of each city they land in. But always managing, without exception, to transmit the authenticity of Italy, always working with Italian recipes, ingredients, and producers. And it seems that this approach works for them: since the group started in Paris more than a decade ago, they have not closed any of the establishments they have opened, despite some of them occupying more than 1,000 square meters, nor have they stopped growing and expanding internationally, since 2023 driven by the McWinn fund as majority shareholder. 

"Spain was love at first sight for Big Mamma," explains Daniele Tasso, the brand's executive chef in Spain. "Because of the atmosphere, the warmth of the people, the lifestyle, and also because of how it has welcomed us," adds Tasso, a native of Genoa and a trained pastry chef who joined Big Mamma just as the group was landing in Madrid, in the midst of the pandemic with Bel Mondo. After three establishments in the capital of Madrid, Big Mamma has finally landed in Barcelona this year as well. 

A city that, as Tasso states, they had had on their radar for months and even years. However, they did not want to rush and have their entry into the Catalan capital go unnoticed, but rather to take place in a spacious and central location. After an intense search, they found this space in Enric Granados, in a premises that for years housed the Bellavista Jardín del Norte restaurant (which had the Messi family as investors). Thus, finally in spring Big Mamma began its adventure in Barcelona, with Gloria Osteria, a space of more than two floors with 1,000 square meters that, with a glamorous osteria format, evokes the golden years of Italy and, specifically, the Italian luxury capital, Milan. 

After this successful opening, as confirmed by the queues that frequently wait at the door of the premises or the fact that they are already serving more than 3,000 covers weekly, Big Mamma is preparing to take a new step in its Barcelona journey: Circolo Popolare. This time, from Barcelona's commercial artery: Passeig de Gràcia, in the premises that for so many decades had housed Citrus, which closed in February and which will come to life again at the beginning of December. 

A bucolic Italian garden in the heart of Barcelona

Ten large windows —40 meters long— will allow observing the constant hustle and bustle of Passeig de Gràcia, while diners entertain their eyes with hanging lamps and corners full of floral and bucolic details. A large part of these windows, moreover, will be covered by 9,000 bottles of spirits that will create plays of light that will further enhance this atmosphere. The decoration, designed by the British Studio Kiki, seeks to replicate the concept of the group's eponymous restaurants in Paris, Madrid, London, and Manchester: Circolo is a popular party where everyone is welcome, and where food serves as an excuse to share unique moments and memories. A party that, however, is never the same in all countries, as the decoration adapts to each venue they land in.  

And this is another of Big Mamma's recipes for success: reversing the usual dynamic and first choosing the most suitable location —a search that can last between a year and a year and a half—, before thinking about the concept around which the decoration or gastronomy will revolve. "Most groups design a concept and then look for where to fit it in different cities; we do it the other way around: the location and its energy are what dictate the decorative and culinary concept, so each venue has its own personality," says the executive chef for Spain.  

Although Sicily is the inspiring region for this restaurant, the Neapolitan character can be felt in every corner: not only because of the format and quality of its pizzas, but also because of certain nods in the decoration. Paintings and jerseys of footballer Diego Armando Maradona, due to his connection not only with Naples, but also with Barcelona and Barça, are added to hand-painted tables and chairs imported directly from Italy. A craftsmanship in the decoration that is perceived as soon as you enter, when the diner walks on Italian terracotta ceramic, which transports Tasso to childhood memories and his mother's garden. And it is that in Circolo Popolare "everything is authentic, like the creations that come out of the kitchen," emphasizes its executive chef.

The joy of sharing

They also do not give up working with Italian producers ---with a total of 170 producers who transport the best ingredients to Barcelona twice a week--- as well as local suppliers for vegetables, meats, and fish. A combination of local and Italian talent that is also replicated among the staff, with at least 70% Italians among its 100 employees —with fifty working among the 12 stoves in the kitchens—.

Among the dishes, options such as meter-long pizzas, up to 80 centimeters, a dish concept designed to share among friends or family and very popular in Italy, but difficult to find outside the country, stand out. Or even grilled meats cooked on stone, which aim to demonstrate that Italian gastronomy is much richer and more varied than pizza or pasta. Dishes such as the popular cotoletta alla milanese, a 600-gram breaded veal chop, known as orecchia d'elefante —elephant ear— due to its size, or the Circolo Tower, a large display of appetizers, such as burrata or Neapolitan montanarine fritte, complete an authentic gastronomic offer without compromising on quality. 

With all these ingredients, the forecast is to exceed 1,000 covers daily on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Thus becoming one of the most coveted Italian restaurants on Passeig de Gràcia, and a place where "people come to share, celebrate and have a good time," as Tasso points out.  

A celebration venue for Barcelona residents that also revalidates the successful decade-long trajectory of Big Mamma, a gastronomic empire that still wishes to have a long journey in the Catalan capital, following the example of other European cities where they have a presence, such as Paris —the streets that saw them grow and where they now have a dozen spaces— or London —where they already have six venues—, but also outside of it. In fact, by the end of the year alone, the group has planned openings, in addition to Circolo Popolare in early December, in Paris, Dublin and, for the first time, also outside the European continent: landing, no less than in Dubai, with an eye also on the United States for its next operations.