From the Mafia to the Family. The restaurant chain La Mafia se sienta a la mesa has decided to adopt the name La Famiglia se sienta a la mesa after the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) ruled in favor of the nullity of its trademark, following an initiative promoted by the Embassy of Italy in Spain.
The Spanish body accepted a few months ago the request for nullity presented by Italy, considering that the sign directly reproduced the name of a real criminal organization, whose activity does not constitute a remote or merely literary phenomenon, but a persistent reality".
"We decided to take a step forward and move away from the controversies of the last season and from issues that do not represent us at all. We are moving on to what is not a change, for us a word does not mean 25 years of history, we are moving from La Mafia to the new name La Famiglia sits at the table, it is a new way of telling what we have always been and reflects what we are," said the company's CEO, Javier Floristán, at a meeting with journalists.
For their part, the group's general director, Loli Riquelme, has stressed that with this modification they want to definitively settle the controversy. "We do not want to get into debates and issues that do not represent us, quite the opposite, we want to get out of there, because we are dedicated to opening new restaurants and continuing to grow, because we maintain the same expansion plan," she indicated.
The group, which has been evaluating this brand shift and analyzing different alternatives for about a year and a half, has explained that around 800 possible names were studied before making the decision. During a transitional phase, the two denominations will coexist, as the change of logos will be progressively implemented in May and June throughout the national territory, with the aim of it being "changed" by summer.
In this scenario, the company has detailed that the first establishment that will sport the new brand will open its doors in Madrid during the month of May, on Velázquez street. The corporate name of the restaurant group, however, will remain LMssLM.
Despite the OEPM's decision, the company has confirmed that it maintains the appeal filed against the latest resolution. "We want them to give us an explanation, we want to get out of this mess, because we don't want to be recognized for good gastronomy and for growing in our locations, it doesn't affect us at all in the expansion plan," Riquelme stressed.
BETTING ON CONTINUED GROWTH
In parallel to the name change, the group plans to continue its expansion during this fiscal year by opening 30 new locations under its various brands, with an anticipated investment of 15 million euros between company-owned and franchised restaurants. This plan will entail the creation of nearly 500 jobs.
The company faces the coming years with a defined strategy to continue increasing its presence until reaching 200 operational units in 2028.
The restaurant chain closed 2025 with a turnover of 132 million euros, an increase of 12.3% compared to the previous year, and added 21 openings in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra, reaching 114 operational units at the end of the year.