The owners of Di Maggio’s, Café Andaluz, and Amarone have bought Glasgow’s two Paesano Pizza restaurants and Sugo Pasta.
Di Maggio's Restaurant Group has completed the acquisition of Glasgow's two Paesano restaurants along with Sugo on Mitchell Street. The group has revealed intentions to expand both brands following the acquisition.
Restaurateur Paul Stevenson has sold the pizza and pasta restaurants to Mario Gizzi and Tony Conetta. Paesano, known for its Neapolitan pizza, first opened on Miller Street in 2015 and expanded to Great Western Road in 2017. Sugo Pasta joined Mitchell Street in 2019 and has been serving approximately 12,000 diners per week.
Paul Stevenson said “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.
“After visiting Italy and tasting the phenomenally high-quality of authentic Neapolitan pizzas, I decided to introduce that concept to Scotland, focusing religiously on the provenance of the product and authentic, regional Italian recipes.
“At heart, it is a very simple offering but the quality of the produce and ingredients that we use, together with the craftsmanship of experienced Neapolitan chefs, has proved a phenomenal combination.
“We currently serve around 22,000 people a week across the three restaurants and I’m really looking forward to seeing how Tony and Mario expand the business, while preserving everything that’s made Sugo and Paesano so special.”
“I know the business is in very safe hands and that Tony and Mario will really look after it. We have a great staff and a hugely committed management team in the company and they will undoubtedly get many more opportunities to grow within the larger DRG business.
“It is hugely exciting and I can’t wait to see how the company develops over the next few years.”
Mario 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.
“We have shown repeatedly that we have the ability to take exciting restaurant concepts and expand them in a planned and successful manner, and it is going to be really exciting to do the same for Paesano and Sugo. They are brilliant brands - everything from the signage to the interiors, and particularly the food, is absolutely perfect.”
Tony Conetta said: “We have watched with admiration how Paul has built the restaurants into powerhouse brands in a hugely competitive market and are really pleased that he will remain on board as a consultant as we develop our plans to roll out Paesano and Sugo more widely.”
