Lucciano’s Targets International Expansion by 2027
Argentina remains Lucciano’s main operating base, accounting for 80% of global revenue. The company has 102 shops in the country, including 32 in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and operates 21 outlets abroad. From January to July 2026, same-store sales in Argentina increased 13.6% above inflation; including newly opened shops, sales grew 52%.
The company’s Argentine facilities produce about 3.6m kg of ice cream, 4m ice lollies and 5.7m alfajores each year. Lucciano’s imports 65,000 kg of premium chocolate annually. Its franchise model includes equipment supplied by headquarters, product deliveries, training and supervision from a corporate team of 300 people. A further 300 employees work in industrial production.
Opening a franchise in Argentina requires average investment of about $250,000, depending on the property, plus a $35,000 entry fee. Average annual sales per outlet are reported at $1.2m, with EBITDA margins ranging from 25% to 35%. The company says franchisees can recover their investment in 10 to 16 months. Only two shops have closed during the company’s history, with location identified as the problem in both cases.
The United States has required a different financial model. Lucciano’s has shops in Orlando and Miami, including Aventura Mall and three locations in Brickell, as well as an outlet at American Dream Mall in New Jersey. Opening a shop in the US costs eight to ten times more than in Argentina and up to three times more than in Europe; a flagship location can require $1m-$2m. Building regulations, permits, plumbing work and inspections contributed to delays in New Jersey, where a project took twice as long as originally planned. The company now allows three to four years for recovery of US investment.
Outside Argentina and the US, Lucciano’s has eight shops in Spain, one in Rome, five franchises elsewhere in South America and an exclusive franchisee in Morocco. The South American franchises comprise four outlets in Uruguay and one in Chile. The Moroccan shop, opened in September, was the company’s first in Africa and was developed with Bono, the Moroccan national football team’s goalkeeper. Expansion plans include Brazil, Mexico and the Middle East, where regional conditions have extended expected timelines.
Alfajores are another product in the international strategy. Early shipments to Mexico and the US received positive acceptance, while European distribution is under consideration. The company’s innovation centre in Mar del Plata tests four or five prototypes a day. Lucciano’s uses about 90,000 kg of pistachios annually, mostly sourced from farms in San Juan province, and has developed products including an adaptation of Dubai chocolate. Otero said the company’s Disney licensing agreement created an additional channel for branded products.
Three years ago, the family opened the company’s capital and brought in Renata Jacobs as a minority shareholder with 25% of the shares. Jacobs, a Swiss businesswoman and heir and shareholder of Barry Callebaut, was followed by quarterly international-standard audits, management committees and more formalised departments. The family retained 95% of operational control, according to the company. Lucciano’s is targeting a reversal of its current revenue mix over the next five years, with 75% of revenue from international markets and 25% from Argentina. Its 2027 plan includes a consolidated presence in Brazil and the Middle East.
