Mercato Cucina is a fast-casual Italian marketplace and café franchise known for fresh, high-quality Italian food and specialty market products. The concept was founded in 2021 by Executive Chef David Buico in Huntington Station, New York, inspired by traditional Italian food markets and family recipes.

The flagship location blends a marketplace, a kitchen, and a café, offering fresh pastas, sauces, mozzarella, Italian cold cuts, breakfast, lunch sandwiches, custom coffee blends, and catering.

Mercato Cucina is headquartered in Huntington Station, New York, the site of its first store and culinary development center. The brand emphasizes authentic Italian flavors, fresh ingredients, and a warm marketplace atmosphere that recreates the feel of classic Italian neighborhood shops.

Its model brings together both prepared foods and gourmet market products. The company began franchising in 2023, expanding its vision beyond its original New York roots.

Training

Mercato Cucina provides a structured and detailed training program to prepare franchisees for successful business operations. The training programs include the following:

1. Initial Training Program
   The franchisor offers an initial training program at no tuition cost, which must be completed to the franchisor’s satisfaction before the franchise opens. This program includes both classroom and on-the-job instruction covering essential operational areas such as menu understanding, permits, customer service, food preparation, and safety. Franchisees are responsible for all related expenses, including travel and lodging.
2. Opening Assistance
   Mercato Cucina provides opening assistance and guidance during the setup phase of the franchised business. If additional support is requested and deemed necessary by the franchisor, it is offered at standard rates, plus related expenses.
3. Ongoing Training
   The franchisor may require the franchisee to attend up to two ongoing training programs annually. These may include seminars, webinars, or conventions, charged at $250 per person per day, plus travel and lodging if conducted at the franchisee's location. Franchisees bear all costs related to attendance.
4. Additional or Remedial Training
   If the franchisee fails to complete the training satisfactorily, the franchisor may terminate the agreement or require a substitute manager to complete training. The cost for such additional training is $250 per day per person or the franchisor’s then-current rates.

Territory Protection

Mercato Cucina offers franchisees an exclusive territory, which means the franchisor agrees not to establish either a company-owned or franchised outlet selling the same or similar goods or services under the same or similar trademarks within that geographic area.

This territory is typically defined by a radius or population count and does not require the franchisee to achieve any specific sales performance to maintain it. The franchisor also does not reserve the right to alter the territory even if population density increases.

However, Mercato Cucina retains the right to use other distribution methods within a franchisee's territory, such as internet sales, catalog orders, or telemarketing. These channels may allow the franchisor or its affiliates to reach customers within the assigned area, and franchisees are not entitled to compensation for any sales that result.