8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
What is the recipe for success at La Vita Glasgow?
There's a strong floral theme with an impressive archway of deep pink roses – along with a large heart of dark red roses flanked by Italian statues and marble bench that screams Instagram and is a real focal point.
An imposing central bar area, neon art, and a slate floor featuring beautiful tiles imported from Italy combine to create an interior that combines both contemporary and traditional elements – and stands out from other Italian restaurants in the city.
For Mario Arcari, managing director and co-owner with his father, Marco, of La Vita Restaurants, the Barrachnie outlet – the biggest in the six-strong group – fulfils Marco's ambition to have a restaurant in 'all corners of Glasgow'.
Marco and his late brother, Tony, who ran fish and chip shops across Glasgow, opened their first La Vita restaurant in Bishopbriggs in 1999 with the business experiencing steady but solid growth since then.
'Dad grew up in Garrowhill, next to Barrachnie, so he always wanted to have a restaurant in this part of the east end,' explains Mario. 'I was nine when Bishopbriggs opened so I grew up in the business, learning from dad and Uncle Tony. I joined the business when I left school at 17 – they were both good teachers.
'Today, it's an equal partnership between me and my father – he's as passionate about the business as he was in the early days. We're both very community-focused and want to offer good food that is affordable in a family-friendly environment with a great atmosphere – all our restaurants sum up that ethos, but each one is individual in its own way.'
Says Marco: 'Italian culture is all about family, eating together at the table, having great conversations – all the generations coming together and welcoming friends old and new. Our restaurants are perfect for these gatherings and our staff make everyone welcome and at ease.'
While La Vita Barrachnie doesn't have any signature dishes as such, it offers a host of 'long-time favourites' that are always on the menu. Only Italian pasta is used, and all pizzas are stonebaked. 'The family is originally from the Lazio region of Italy, so we incorporate flavours and styles from there and also from Tuscany, Naples etc – but all with our own unique twist,' Mario points out.
(Image: La Vita Group)
'We've also introduced our Chip Shop range – favourites from your local chippy that use our own secret batter recipe that goes back to dad and Tony's chip shop days. It's really popular with customers.'
Meanwhile, Mario believes that TV cookery shows and other series such as actor Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy travelogues, in which he explores Italy's regional cuisines, and his most recent one – Tucci in Italy on Disney+ – educate people and make them more interested in food and where it comes from.
'I've definitely noticed that our customers are asking more questions about the ingredients we use,' says Mario. 'Years ago, people assumed Italian food was just pizza, pasta, tomatoes, and mozzarella – but there's so much more to it than that. We source all our key ingredients from Italy – our cheese, tomatoes, pizza flour. We're very particular about that.'
Much of the kitchen creativity and innovation in La Vita Barrachnie and the group's other restaurants – La Vita Bishopbriggs and George Square, along with Sputini in Byres Road and Gordon Street, and Piccolino e Vino in Newton Mearns – comes from the chefs themselves.
For example, Barrachnie houses a dedicated bakery which produces a range of Italian breads and cakes for all six restaurants and is also open to the public. In La Vita Barrachnie, a display cabinet near the entrance tempts customers with its mouthwatering array of Italian strawberry tarts, Neapolitan cakes, fresh Italian cheesecakes, homemade cannoli and much more.
(Image: La Vita Group) 'Our head baker Enrico and his team make everything fresh every day – our bread and cakes are another point of difference for us. We also do celebration cakes that you can pre-order to have at your table or collect and take home to enjoy. People often say, 'I've no room for dessert' but when they see our display they soon change their mind.'
The La Vita group's recipe for success, adds Mario, has been to expand in a way that is both manageable and sustainable. 'We're very entrepreneurial but it's not a race – that doesn't mean we are any less ambitious, but we like to get everything right which each venue before thinking about the next one.
'We bounced back really well from the pandemic and the fact that we have such a strong following of loyal customers and keep attracting new ones tells us that we've got the formula just right – people like what we do and what we stand for.'
That's not to say it's always plain sailing, Mario concedes. 'Hospitality is a tough environment just now,' he says. 'It's not easy for operators, particularly independent, family-owned businesses. But our strength is our staff – we have a great team of both full-time and part-time staff.
'We place huge importance on looking after our people,' Mario adds. 'Our chef in Bishopbriggs has been with us since we opened. We pride ourselves on bringing people on, building their confidence – hospitality is great for that because the whole thing revolves around people.
'Our staff make our business what it is today. We are very proud of them and proud that we are still doing what dad and Tony set out to do all those years ago – great food that is excellent value for money and restaurants that have a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere.'
