Pranzo Italian set to open two new Yorkshire restaurants, creating around 60 jobs

Pranzo Italian has moved into the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill store in The Moors Shopping centre in Ilkley from its former location in Ben Rhydding, where it had established a restaurant in 2018.

Pranzo is owned and run by the Yorkshire-based chef and entrepreneur Marco Greco, whose family originate from the Calabria area of southern Italy. The team make fresh, homemade pasta each morning and the company’s menus reflect the Calabrian tradition.

Mr Greco said he first looked around the building which has become the new Pranzo restaurant in Ilkley two years ago.

"It's always been my dream to move to the centre of Ilkley,’’ he told The Yorkshire Post. “I knew this was the place I wanted but I knew the price wasn't right so I was patient. I was coming towards the end of my lease at Ben Rhydding so I knew I had to do something.

"I'm quite picky with the location. It has to have a bit of outside space. I've got 60 seats here, plus a private dining room. These premises tick every box for me.”

He said Pranzo was set for further growth over the next year.

He added: “There are two other restaurants lined up for opening in Yorkshire. One of them will be quite straightforward, because it's a small place already running as a restaurant. It will just need minor repair work.

"That shouldn't be a big project and will hopefully be up and running in the next couple of months. I'm looking at another restaurant on a similar scale to this which we are looking to open at some point next summer. One of the restaurant is in West Yorkshire and the other is in North Yorkshire. They are both within half an hour's drive of Ilkley.

"In Ilkley, due to the relocation to the town centre and the fact we've almost tripled in size, we will employ 90 staff altogether. By this time next year, if the other two sites have opened, we could be looking at 150 staff."

Mr Greco added: “We look after our staff and it's a great family atmosphere to work in.

"After Covid, it was a struggle to find staff, but now because of the strength of the brand, it seems relatively easy for me to find staff, including our team of 15 full time chefs.

"People are coming back to the hospitality sector after the disruption caused by Covid. Most of the staff, apart from the head chefs are on a four day working week, which is unheard of in the hospitality sector. We have regular team trips to Italy.

"I love this area and I want to give something back to the community and I want to expand and grow.

"The thing that really gives me the opportunity to grow is the fact I have great staff. That frees me up to find opportunities to grow. People are already working towards the goal of working in the new restaurant because they know they might have the opportunity to become a restaurant manager there.”