Edinburgh’s family-run Vittoria Group is celebrating its 55th anniversary with the launch of a new charitable initiative, pledging £1,000 a month to support local community projects across the capital.
The initiative, Vittoria Giving Back, will distribute £12,000 over the next year to grassroots causes selected by staff across the group’s seven venues.
Founded in 1970 with the opening of Vittoria on the Walk in Leith by Alberto and Dina Crolla, the business has grown into a multi-venue hospitality group employing more than 320 staff. Today, it is run by their grandsons Alberto and Leandro Crolla, supported by their father Tony and mother Angela.
Chairman Tony Crolla, who received the Scottish Italian Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, said, “Our family has been proud to share our Italian heritage and values with Edinburgh for 55 years. This milestone is not only a celebration of our journey, but also of the loyal customers, incredible staff and supportive community who have made it possible.”
From its original site in Leith, the group has expanded to include Vittoria on the Bridge, wine bar Divino, Taste of Italy, Bertie’s Proper Fish and Chips, the Brunswick Book Club, and most recently Landy’s Fish and Chips, which opened on the Royal Mile in December 2024.
Many of Vittoria’s staff have built long-term careers with the business, and several families have seen multiple generations work across the venues. To date, 32 ‘Vittoria babies’ have been born to couples who met while working with the group.
Founder Dina Crolla said, “When my husband Alberto and I opened Vittoria on the Walk back in 1970, we never thought our little restaurant would last so long, never mind grow the way it has. Back then it was a big risk – we didn’t speak English, we worked morning to night, seven days a week, and gave up a lot to make it work. All we wanted was to cook good food and make people feel at home. To see Tony, Alberto, and Leandro carry it on now makes me so proud. They’ve worked so hard, and they’ve kept the family feeling at the heart of everything. That means more to me than anything.”
Over the years, the Vittoria Group has also played a role in shaping the wider hospitality landscape in Edinburgh, supporting calls for extended outdoor dining and backing initiatives such as the proposed visitor levy.
Vittoria Giving Back aims to continue the group’s longstanding commitment to supporting the city that has supported them.
Picture: Vittoria On The Walk – circa 1987