Shibarium-Based Welly Expands with Second Franchise and Plans U.S. Expansion

SHIB, a leading ecosystem of decentralized finance (DeFi) cryptocurrencies, has announced that Welly, the Italian restaurant utilizing the Shibarium blockchain, has opened its second location as it continues its efforts to establish a fast food empire. The expansion signifies a crucial step in integrating blockchain technology into the food industry.

The new Welly franchise in Reggio Emilia is the restaurant's most expansive concept to date. Initially launched as a food stand in Naples, Welly has also expanded its offerings to include food catering at various events. The new Reggio Emilia storefront features 40 indoor dining seats and Welly to-go options. Both the Naples and Reggio Emilia locations showcase store layouts designed by the award-winning Spanish architecture studio MASQUESPACIO, incorporating curved walls, spacious dining areas, and neon light boxes featuring popular Welly NFT digital characters. This design was heavily influenced by the SHIB community.

Franchisees Federico Foroni and Enrico Damiani, enthusiastic members of both the Welly and SHIB communities, will celebrate the opening of the new location with a local community event featuring music on June 15, 2024. "Welly is an experience unlike any other in the world of cuisine and is completely built on the input of customers and the passionate online community," said Welly spokesperson Gianmaria D’Aniello. "We look forward to bringing this unique, one-of-a-kind experience to more locations in Italy, new locations in the United States, and elsewhere in the world."

Welly's brand identity and food operations are deeply integrated with Web3 and the Shibarium blockchain. Future plans include a farm-to-table tracing system. Currently, the Welly menu features burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and fries (or patatine fritte), with additional items such as vegan and gluten-free options expected to be added. "The Welly locations are two of the most exciting 'projects' within the entire SHIB ecosystem," said Shiba Inu Lead Developer known as Shytoshi Kusama. "These real storefronts serving customers every day and Web3 are working together to augment the capabilities and reach of both. As Welly expands, SHIB and Shibarium will be right there to help franchisees meet their goals."

Welly was conceived to bring blockchain concepts to a real-world food franchise, aiming to offer something new, innovative, healthy, and tasty. Since its initial opening as a Naples restaurant in 2021, Welly has rebranded and partnered with SHIB, becoming a key destination for chicken lovers and beyond. The restaurant boasts a large menu filled with exclusive recipes from renowned young chef Flynn McGarry, aiming to offer high-quality meals in the fast food world.

SHIB is expanding its community and potential partnerships across several different verticals beyond food service, including internet and Web2 interoperability (D3 and the .shib top-level domain), philanthropy (the Manny Pacquiao Foundation), and media and entertainment (Content Delivery & Security Association). For more information on SHIB and its ecosystem, visit https://www.shib.io. To learn more about Welly, visit https://linktr.ee/wellynft.