Radical Authenticity Meets Digital-First

Launching during Covid, Vicio’s founders bet on digital-first delivery and deep cultural ties with Gen Z. At the European Foodservice Summit 2025, EEO and co-founder Oriol de Pablo Morató shared how authenticity—inside and out—built their loyal community, turning Vicio into a €70M sensation with 40+ outlets across Spain and Portugal.

Their key to success: tech obsession, ultra-simple menus, creative disruptor mentality, and a narrative that’s both aspirational and anti-establishment. Vicio’s success – it’s now Spain’s No.3 delivery brand-  is a case study in building a brand with soul, speed, and social impact.

 

Top 5 take-aways from Oriol’s session:

  1. Radical Authenticity Drives Connection Vizio attributes its rapid growth and Gen Z appeal to aligning internal culture with external branding. Consistent and genuine values internally (company culture) and externally (brand) are fundamental. The company’s anti-fake stance—“radical authenticity”—means policies and public image must align, or credibility and connection, particularly with Gen Z, are lost.
  2. Digital-First, Tech-Driven Operations From the start, Vicio allocated one-third of resources to technological development—building their own point-of-sale, customer loyalty, and operations systems. This enabled real-time performance improvements and operational efficiency, differentiating Vizio from competitors and reducing average delivery time in Barcelona from 40 to 25 minutes.
  3. Rapid Replication and Scale Strategic focus has been essential to Vizio’s rapid expansion. The founders maintained clear priorities: by concentrating exclusively on delivery (“Plan B distracts you from Plan A”) and perfecting core processes, the company scaled from zero to 40 restaurants and €70 million in revenue within five years.
  4. Community and Collaboration with Gen Z Gen Z responds to brands that are collaborative and open to co-creation, not just passive consumption. Vizio fosters this with pop-up events, social presence, and real-time digital interaction, blending online and offline experiences.
  5. Consistency and Coherence as Strategy Vizio’s menu is short, focused on elevated classics (burgers, fries, and fried chicken), which optimizes operational excellence, cost control, and consistency across locations. This approach also fortifies the brand’s identity as authentic and reliable and strengthens brand identity.

 

Data and Numbers Shared

  • Founded: October 2020; first burger served on 15th October 2020
  • Growth trajectory:
    • Year 1 (from Oct. 2020): €4 million revenue
    • 2021: €20 million
    • 2022: €22 million
    • 2023: €39 million
    • 2024: €55 million
    • 2025: Projected over €70 million
  • Locations: 40 restaurants in five years
  • Employees: 900 total (70 at HQ)
  • Market Position: Third largest delivery restaurant operator in Spain
  • Expansion: Operations in Spain, growing presence in France and Portugal
  • Delivery Efficiency: Reduced standard delivery in Barcelona from 40 to 25 minutes through tech innovation
  • Sales Volume: Over 600 orders per restaurant per month
  • Investment Split: Of every €3, €1 is invested in product, €1 in technology, €1 in profit

 

 

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