Daluciano in Bothwell has re-opened and there is a familiar face at the helm – that of Marco Sarao, who managed the restaurant nine years ago. Now he is back in charge of this well kent Lanarkshire eaterie.
Explains Marco, “Back then I had a six-month contract to open the restaurant – it had been called the Bothwell Bar and Brasserie and the owners wanted it re-established as Daluciano which originally opened on this spot more than 60 years ago. After that I always kept an eye on it.”
Over the years the restaurant on Bothwell’s Silverwells Road has operated as various eateries – its most recent incarnation was as Restaurant at No 2 and prior to that it was Cut Fish.
“But”, says Marco, “Everyone still called it Daluciano.” “When I saw that No 2 had closed in October/November of last year I got in touch with the owner and said I would love to turn it back into an Italian restauran and I was happy to work with him, although independent in a small buying group, with his other businesses. For me it really was a no brainer – I wanted to operate the restaurant under its former name Daluciano.”
Marco got the keys at the end of last year and has been putting the shine back into the business. It has been redecorated and new branding has been introduced. Says Marco, “I wanted to introduce some Italian elements such as stylish wine displays and some blackboards and we also have Amalfi lemon trees – provided by Jordana Events.” He smiles, “I just wanted to put my stamp on the place. It already looked pretty good, it just needed a refresh.”
He also has Italian chefs in the kitchen and the menu has been completely revamped as has the drinks offering. Marco explains, “We are trying to be as authentic as possible using genuine Italian products and drinks brands – such as Di Capri Limoncello – and Malfi Gin, and we are selling lots of it. We also have some brands which although are popular in Italy at the moment are new to the UK market such as Vecchio Amaro and of course we sell a lot of Peroni.”
Certainly Marco is aiming to turn around the business in the same way he did at The Swan in Eaglesham which he took over six years ago. Under his management it won Sunday Mail Pub of the Year and many other accolades too. However the pandemic put a damper on things there.
He says, “We came out of the pub just after the pandemic. The overheads were just too high. I also helped open a venue in East Kilbride, but I came away from it a year ago and have been actively looking for my own venture ever since.”
He certainly seems to have done that with Daluciano. It is almost full circle. Says Marco, “We haven’t been open long but we have been warmly welcomed. There is a good catchment area here and we are working hard at attracting new customers too. We’ve got lots of entertainment planned. The weekends are already very busy and I’m confident we can build the business up and hopefully it will be as successful as the original Daluciano.”
