Copyright glasgowworld
2025 is shaping up to be a year when a battered and bruised local hospitality scene in Glasgow saw significant closures while local independent groups brightened the landscape with new openings to strengthen their position, particularly in the city centre and the West End. One of the great successes stories of recent years has been Sugo on Mitchell Street. Expansion plans for that local restaurant brand kick off with a new location in the West End. Di Maggio’s Restaurant Group bought Glasgow’s two Paesano restaurants and the original Sugo in 2024. In May this year they announced the opening of another Paesano, taking over the original Di Maggio restaurant site in Shawlands. Now Sugo is set to replace Zizzi that closed on Cresswell Lane near Byres Road in August after 15 years. Sugo offers fresh pasta dishes, regional food from Campania and Puglia to Sicily and Tuscany. The compact menu consists of 10 fresh pasta dishes, sides and desserts. Restaurateur Paul Stevenson sold the pizza and pasta restaurants to Mario Gizzi and Tony Conetta of DRG, the owners of Di Maggio’s, Café Andaluz, and Amarone. Paesano, which quickly established a following for Neapolitan pizza, opened on Miller Street in 2015 and Great Western Road on 2017. Sugo Pasta arrived on Mitchell Street in 2019, serving 12,000 diners a week. Expansion was part of the plan when the deal was announced. 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.” Their Glasgow family business also has the Atlantic Brasserie, the The Anchor Line and The Citizen as part of its portfolio. In February this year, Mario and Tony told The Herald that they expected to open six new restaurants, including Paesano Southside, with plans to expand across the UK. "The integration of Paesano and Sugo into our wider operations has been virtually seamless. It’s gone exactly as we would’ve hoped, and the shared ethos of high-quality dining and superb, authentic ingredients has already proved to be a winning formula. "Within 12 months, we expect to have doubled the number of Paesano and Sugo restaurants to six, and we have firm aspirations to further expand north and south of the border in the years ahead. The DRG achieved turnover of £49.52 million for the year to April 2024, a rise of £3.68m on the prior 12 months. The group’s operating profit before exceptional items increased, by £1.18m to £6.23m. Work is underway to prepare the site at 8 Cresswell Lane, G12 8AA, with an opening date for Sugo in the West End to follow.
