The Liverpool restaurant can welcome more than 3,000 people each week
16:21, 07 Sep 2026Updated 16:38, 07 Sep 2026
Arran Campolucci-Bordi, owner of Casa Italia
For Arran Campolucci-Bordi, Casa Italia has always been a part of his life. The Liverpool restaurant has been in his family all of his life after his grandad, Mario Campolucci-Bordi, took it on from its original owner, Giuliano Sherini, in 1985. Arran has worked at the restaurant since the age of 12, recalling memories of washing the bins when he wasn’t in school and his “little stint” in the kitchen. He said: “That wasn’t for me. A very stressful job. Big respect to all the chefs out there.”
While the family has remained at its heart for more than 40 years, it has also been a part of generations of Scousers’ lives, welcoming thousands through its doors for casual meals or celebrations. Now, at the age of 36, Arran is at the helm of the much-loved family-run restaurant as it celebrates 50 years of serving authentic Italian cuisine to the people of Liverpool this month.
Arran told the ECHO: “The Casa Italia opened in 1976 and was the first Italian in Liverpool. So, it introduced Italian food to the people of Liverpool. So people potentially haven’t had a pizza or pasta before. I know that’s weird to say now, but back then it just wasn’t a thing.
“It was opened by a guy called Giuliano Sherini, who was an amazing guy. He opened it with three restaurants. We had the Casa Italia downstairs, pizza and pasta, then we had the Del Secolo upstairs, which was more of a very high-end Italian. Then he had the Villa Italia at the back, which was more of a Trattoria, so he served pizza and pasta, but also meat dishes and things like that.
Casa Italia, Villa Italia, and Del Secolo, Italian Restaurants in Liverpool city centre taken March 2 1989
“My nonno, Mario, bought the business in about 1985, and we’ve had it in our family since then. So it started with Mario and then my dad, Carlo, and then me. So I’ve been running it now for 15 years.”
Although his family has remained at the heart of the business, so has its staff, with many regulars sure to recognise a few of its familiar faces. Their longest serving staff member, Rudy, has worked at the Stanley Street restaurant for around 35 years. Arran added: “We keep the same staff because they’re great. It’s not like we’re doing it for any other reason than they are fantastic. Customers love coming in to see a similar face.”
While guests may spot a familiar face, they’ll also spot its recognisable feel and menu, staying “pretty much the same” all these years later. The 36-year-old from Birkdale said: “We’re consistent. You know if you come to Casa Italia, you know exactly what you’re getting, and we’re not trying to be a super high-end restaurant.
Arran Campolucci-Bordi, owner of Casa Italia
“We certainly don’t try to price ourselves as a high-end restaurant. So, we keep our prices as low as we possibly can. Even these days, with everything that’s going on with restaurants, the economics are becoming a lot more difficult. But I think the biggest thing is that you know what you’re getting when you come to the Casa Italia. We don’t change our menu. We keep everything the same, and I think customers want that.
“I think customers want to know what they’re getting, and they queue because they think ‘I’m happy to queue because I know when I get in, I know exactly what I’m getting. I know what it’s going to be like. I know what it was last time, and it’s going to be the same the next hundred times as it was the last hundred times’. I think that’s really the thing that keeps it going.
“But obviously, you’ve got to have a good atmosphere, good service, and you’ve got to serve customers every time excellently. There are so many things to it, but we try and do everything right. But the consistency is what I think keeps people coming back.”
Casa Italia in Liverpool city centre
Looking ahead to the next 50 years, Arran sees it still being pretty much “the same.” But for now, the team are looking ahead to their 50th year celebrations, which will come as a surprise to some guests. The restaurant plans to put their 1976 prices back on the menu for one-day only, but the exact date will be kept under wraps until guests see the prices on the menu. The family will also celebrate the huge milestone with a visit to the restaurant.
Arran added: “We’re all going to go upstairs and have a party basically. We’re going to celebrate it. Three generations is interesting because what do they say? Your first generation makes it, the second generation keeps it, and the third generation usually ruins it. But luckily, I’ve been in this business such a long time, from such a young age, I actually got to see how was run from the bottom up. I think credit to my dad for making me do that.”
Dining and Cooking