TWO restaurants dubbed ‘the best pizza places in Glasgow’ have sold to new owners who are planning a big expansion.
The insanely popular eateries have been bought over by restaurant firm The DRG.
Bosses Mario Gizzi and Tony Conetta have purchased the city‘s two Paesano Pizza restaurants, reports The Herald.
The authentic Neapolitan pizzerias on Miller Street and Great Western Road have become two of Glasgow‘s most popular places to go and feed tens of thousands of hungry punters every week.
The firm has also purchased the Sugo Pasta restaurant on Mitchell Street in the city centre – which serves up plates of fresh pasta to over 12,000 people every week.
The three eateries are so loved by locals that people queue up in the street waiting for a table.
And the restaurants’ new owners have plans to expand the wildly popular chains and open new restaurants across Scotland.
Paesano owner Paul Stevenson told the paper: “I have had numerous approaches over the years from a wide variety of potential purchasers, including private equity groups and other big restaurant chains.
“However, having known the guys from The DRG for more than two decades, it very quickly became clear that they were a perfect fit to take Paesano and Sugo to the next stage of their growth.
“Paesano and Sugo have absolutely exceeded any expectations we had of them when we first launched the business almost a decade ago.”
He added he was excited to see how the new owners expand the business while staying true to what makes them special.
The DRG has a long history in Scotland’s restaurant trade and is one of the country’s biggest independent restaurant companies.
The firm started with Di Maggio’s in Glasgow’s Shawlands in 1985 and has gone on to run Café Andaluz, which has SEVEN branches, and Amarone.
Mr Gizzi said: “In our discussions with Paul, it quickly became clear that we shared a clear vision of bringing the Paesano and Sugo experience to more locations.
He added: “They are brilliant brands – everything from the signage to the interiors, and particularly the food, is absolutely perfect.”