Carluccio's expands to Scotland with forthcoming launch of Glasgow restaurant
Italian restaurant group Carluccio's is to open its first outpost in Scotland this month, with the launch of a new site in Glasgow.
The restaurant-cum-deli chain, which was established 20 years ago by Antonio Carluccio and his then-wife Priscilla, will open the Glasgow site on 23 November.
Located in the heart of the city's commercial district, on West Nile Street, the first Scottish Carluccio's will offer an all-day Italian menu along with its signature food shop.
Carluccio's CEO Simon Kossoff said: the group had been looking to open a restaurant in Scotland for some time.
"The truth of the matter is we have been looking at a number of cities in Scotland but we are particularly pleased that the first appropriate site that came up was in Glasgow. It's a very vibrant city and has one of the largest retail centres outside London which is important for Carluccio's," he said.
"We are actively looking for sites in Edinburgh and also Aberdeen."
Separately, Carluccio's has launched a new bar format to take advantage of the after-work market at some of its busy city restaurants.
Having launched at Carluccio's West Smithfield, London and Reading branches, the Aperitivo Bar will take over the deli area, offering upholstered seating and banquettes as well as high-topped tables and bar stools. It will serve a menu of drinks and small Venetian-style tasting dishes, priced between £2.50 and £4.95.
Kossoff added: "The new aperitivo bar offer has been designed specifically to attract an after-work early evening clientele, increasing traffic between the quieter hours of 5pm and 7pm whilst offering our guests the same great value and genuine Italian experience they have come to expect."
Carluccio's now has 57 restaurants across the UK as well as a site in Dublin. It also runs a number of sites in the Middle East, in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
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By Kerstin Kühn
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