Towards Restaurants Day: the Italian Chamber of Deputies approves, now the Senate has the floor

June 2025

One day a year to celebrate Italian cuisine, bringing together tradition, culture and “Made in Italy” brand.

It's official: Restaurants Day is ready to become a reality. The Italian Chamber of Deputies has approved the bill establishing a day entirely dedicated to one of the most beloved symbols of “Made in Italy”. The text, presented in January 2024, got the green light: a strong signal of how much restaurant industry matters to our country, not only when it comes to dining.

One Saturday a year to celebrate the art of hospitality

The fixed appointment will be held every third Saturday in May, without the connotation of a public holiday, but with the aim of enhancing the social, cultural and economic role of Italian restaurant industry. The initiative has its roots in the “Restaurant Day for the Culture of Italian Hospitality,” organized by FIPE-Confcommercio in April 2023.

The law defines restaurants as an authentic “cultural agency of the territory and of Made in Italy”, emphasizing the importance of relationships, sharing and sustainability, through the promotion of quality food products and local traditions.

Initiatives, awards and institutional involvement

The legislative text provides for the direct involvement of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, which, in collaboration with other ministries and trade associations, will promote specific thematic and cultural initiatives. To this end, an annual allocation of 42,000 euros is provided, as well as a fund of 3,000 euros to award 10 medals to restaurant entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves for special merits, in Italy and abroad. The measure also gives space to the world of education, incentivizing educational paths in schools on the role of catering, and to RAI, which will be able to devote content and in-depth coverage to the theme within public programming, in line with the current service contract.

A great achievement

Great satisfaction was expressed by FIPE-Confcommercio, which called the approval of the law a recognition of the value of catering, both in economic and cultural terms. “It is a step that restores institutional dignity to a key sector of Made in Italy and a point of reference for the identity of our country,” the federation said. The bill now goes to the Senate for final approval.

If the legislative path is successfully concluded, the first official Restaurants Day will be celebrated in May 2026.