Pranzo Italian to open first restaurant in Horsforth, Leeds, after huge success in Ilkley and Harrogate

Pranzo Italian has announced it will open a new restaurant in Horsforth in place of the former Barclays Bank building on Town Street.

The building will undergo an extensive renovation with a £350k investment to create an authentic Italian dining space before opening in Spring. It will be the third restaurant that chef owner Marco Greco has opened in six years.

Mr Greco said: “We’ve had our eyes on Horsforth for a while. It is a fantastic town with some stunning independent venues to eat and drink. We are looking forward to becoming part of the community.”

The new Horsforth restaurant, which is set to open in May, will join their established restaurants in Ilkley and Harrogate and will serve homemade pasta and traditional Calabrese food. The restaurant will be open seven days a week and also serve seasonal specials and a light lunch menu.

After six years in Ilkley and three years in Harrogate, Marco said he is looking forward to the next stage in Pranzo's journey.

He said: "Opening Horsforth will take our employment tally to over 100 people with the new restaurant alone looking to employ 35 people.

"We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of Pranzo customers and a great team, many of whom have been with us from the beginning.”

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Pranzo takes its inspiration from Marco’s family heritage in Calabria, Southern Italy where he watched his Nonna (grandmother) make homemade pasta mixed with ingredients picked from their garden.

“I wanted to offer something that was truly authentic, a real taste of home in Yorkshire. We make everything in house, our pasta is made fresh daily, as are our breads, sauces, desserts."

Operations director Stephen Peace said: “Pranzo has experienced a period of growth over the last 18 months. Our Harrogate restaurant expanded, creating an additional 30 seats and our Ilkley restaurant relocated to a bigger venue, doubling its capacity.

"The building work is underway at Horsforth, we can’t wait to see it take shape."