Independent Edinburgh food business Toscano has launched Toscanino, a new grab-and-go concept offering smaller, more flexible portions of its signature Tuscan schiacciata sandwiches.
Opened on Tuesday 1 September at the former Rudi’s Sandwich Shop site on Forrest Road, Toscanino is designed around customer choice, value and portion size. Ready-made half sandwiches are priced between £5 and £6, allowing customers to choose a lighter meal, a lower-cost option, or combine two different halves for a more substantial lunch.
The concept brings Toscano’s established Tuscan schiacciata offering into a faster format, using ingredients and preparation standards comparable to those at the business’s existing Bruntsfield and Blair Street sites.
Schiacciata is a crisp, flattened Tuscan bread, similar to focaccia, traditionally filled with Italian meats, cheeses and spreads. It has become the defining product for Toscano, the family-run Edinburgh business founded after the Pia family discovered the bread during a trip to Tuscany.
Flexibility around food costs
The new Forrest Road site has been developed in response to changing customer habits, particularly growing concern over food costs and the desire for more choice around meal size.
Food Standards Scotland’s Consumer Tracker found that 90% of people aged 16 to 34 were concerned about food prices, while 87% reported concerns around food poverty and food inequality.
For Toscano co-founder Yaya Pia, 20, Toscanino is intended to make the brand’s offering more accessible without reducing the quality or generosity associated with its full-sized sandwiches.
“We’ve always been proud of the size and generosity of the Schiacciatas we serve at Toscano, but we also know that people don’t always want or need a full sandwich,” she said.
“Sometimes you want something smaller, sometimes you’re watching what you’re spending, and sometimes you just want to try two different fillings. Toscanino gives people that choice rather than asking everyone to buy the same size.
“We’re particularly conscious that students have a lot of competing costs, but this isn’t just a student offer. It’s about giving anyone who comes in more flexibility over what they spend and how much they eat.”
A new format for a growing business
The launch follows continued growth for Toscano, which began with its original Bruntsfield shop before expanding to a second location on Blair Street in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Co-founder Valentino Pia, 18, said the new venture was a deliberate attempt to make Toscano easier to access for customers with different budgets, appetites and schedules.
“We wanted to look at the business from the customer’s point of view and ask what could make it even easier to choose Toscano,” he said.
“We believe in the food we serve. It’s not about changing the ingredients or lowering the standard. It’s about changing the format. A smaller portion at a lower price means people can spend less if that’s what they want, while someone hungrier can still have two halves.
“We’ve been planning this for a while, and seeing Toscanino open and welcoming customers through the door has been really exciting. It feels like we’ve been able to put that idea into practice.”
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Toscanino takes its name and inspiration from Tuscany, where schiacciata remains a popular everyday food. With its new quick-service format, the business aims to retain that informal Italian approach while catering to Edinburgh customers seeking an affordable and convenient lunch option.
The Forrest Road opening marks the latest stage in Toscano’s development from a single Bruntsfield shop into a growing local food business with sites across the city.
For more information, visit Toscano Edinburgh or follow @toscaninoedinburgh on Instagram.
