An Italian restaurant group is to open a new restaurant in St Andrews as part of its plans to create up to 300 jobs as it expands over the next 18 months.
Tony Macaroni and Nardini’s ice cream cafes have announced plans to create 20 new venues by 2015 as part of a major expansion plan across the central belt.
Six Tony Macaroni restaurants are already planned, with two for Edinburgh and one each for Braehead, Cumbernauld, St Andrews and Lanark.
The company said the plans will create up to 300 new jobs in the food and drink sector.
Sep Marini is managing director of Tony Macaroni and the Marini brand of fish and chip shops, as well as joint owner of Nardini’s with business partner David Equi.
He said: “The next 18 months will be an exciting time for the company as we create an even greater choice of venues in new and existing areas, as well as creating a significant number of new jobs.”
Nardini’s and Tony Macaroni currently have 12 venues, including Glasgow city centre, Glasgow Byres Road, Livingston, Largs, Motherwell and Dunfermline.
During the course of 2013, Tony Macaroni secured a £1.5 million finance deal with Bank of Scotland to assist towards the acquisition and fit-out costs of freehold restaurant premises in Dunfermline and the refurbishment of another new unit in Glasgow city centre.
It said that Bank of Scotland will continue to advise the company on their upcoming expansion plans.
The bank also provided a further £1.5 million re-finance deal to assist with the transfer of the Nardini’s banking facilities.
David Murray, relationship director for Bank of Scotland, said: “This rapidly expanding chain of popular catering venues has already made a tremendous contribution to Scotland’s food and drink sector.
“The creation of up to 300 new jobs following their latest expansion will be a very welcome boost to communities across the central belt of Scotland as economic recovery continues.
“Our team is seeing that overall business confidence levels remain high and the food and drink sector, in particular, is pushing ahead delivering exceptional growth.
“Continued opportunities exist for the industry in the year ahead and Bank of Scotland remains a key supporter of the sector.”