A FAMILY-run Italian restaurant is celebrating an amazing 60 years serving the people of Inverclyde.
Arlecchino has been a go-to spot for diners in West Blackhall Street since 1966.
The business is now run by Giovanni Mazzoni whose family took on the restaurant in the mid-60s, renaming what was formerly Mazzoni’s Cafe.
Family and staff celebrte new look for 60th anniversary (Image: George Munro)
Giovanni, 63, said: “My parents Licia and Dino and my uncle Bruno and aunt Gina renamed the cafe, L’Arlecchino – the Italian name for a Harlequin.
“It was my aunt Gina’s idea – it’s a 16th-century folklore comic figure.
“The entrance artwork was done by art students at Glasgow School of Art.”
Family ties: Dino and Licia (Image: George Munro copy of original)
But the business goes back even further to his grandfather Adolfo.
Adolfo hailed from La Spezia and came to Scotland for work in 1908.
Giovanni said: “He walked here from Italy. He started in Dunfermline working for another Italian family in their ice cream parlour.”
“Then when the First World War broke out, he went back to Italy and joined the army to fight against the Austrians.”
“He met his wife Eda and he came back in 1921 to open a small cafe at 26 West Blackhall Street and then in 1927, they took over these premises.”
The business has since passed down through the generations. When Bruno and Gina emigrated to Australia, Giovanni’s mum and dad continued until Dino’s untimely death in 1971 aged 44.
Giovanni is in with the bricks, he started working in the restaurant in the summer of 1980 and has never looked back.
He said: “I’ve been here ever since, and I started running the business with my brother Michele when my mum retired in 1998.
“Then Michele took his well-earned retirement in December 2024.”
The restaurant is very much a family affair but they have always counted on the help of a loyal, long-serving team.
Giovanni says Arlecchino’s continued success is down to the staff being like an extended family.
He has been married to Lisa for 33 years and they have been blessed with four children – Valentina, 35, Bibiana, 32, Mauro, 30, and Krizia, 28 – who all pitch in with their parents to make sure customers keep coming back.
Giovanni and Lisa also have two grandchildren, who no doubt will soon be helping out with the family business.
The restaurant has had several makeovers over the years, including a major renovation in 1992, and most recently a full refurbishment designed by Mauro, with a bright new dining area refreshed by the family themselves and new exterior cladding installed by Pointside Joinery.
Top team at L’Arrechino are marking 60th anniversary. Giovanni pictured centre. (Image: George Munro)
As well as looking good, the team pride themselves on excellent customer service and tasty food.
Giovanni said: “Customers are more than customers to us, they are friends.”
Chef Romano Turcossi, 60, who has worked at the restaurant for 14 years, said: “I’ve been a chef since I left school.
“I like the buzz about the place when you are busy, there’s a good atmosphere.”
He says the pace has changed during his time at Arlecchino, customers used to spend two or three hours over a meal, but now things are a lot quicker.
Romano says there is also a slimmed down menu, however good traditional Italian food is still at the heart of what they do.
Jean Patterson, 61, works in the kitchen and has been with the family since she was 19.
She said: “It’s the people, the staff are really good and Giovanni – it’s a really good work environment.
“It is like being part of an extended family.
“I work in the kitchen but everyone just pitches in.”
Michelle Sinnamon, 46, has worked in the restaurant for eleven years.
She said: “I’ve always been a waitress and then I came here after I had my kids. It’s very family orientated, it couldn’t run any other way.”
Eve McKendrick, 25, is restaurant manager, studied anatomy at the University of Glasgow, but decided it wasn’t for her and loves her job.
She said: “Working in a lab didn’t really appeal – it wasn’t for me.
“The hospitality industry does get a bad press but it’s not as bad as people think. We have such a laugh.
“We spend so much time together that we have to get along.”
Eve says she has seen young people do so well when they come to work for them.
She said: “Sometimes you get people just starting out who are very introverted, but the job definitely helps them come out of their shell.”
“We want to make working here as enjoyable as possible.
“We have had so many lovely young people work with us. It really helps to boost their confidence.”
The business has had to move with the times, with Mauro upgrading their payment and online systems over the years.
Lisa said: “It’s about keeping up with the times but also combining the Italian tradition and moving forward with trends that are happening now.”
To mark the special 60th anniversary, there is a special sharing menu, featuring all the family’s favourite Italian classics. More information is available on the restaurant’s website.
Dining and Cooking