AN ITALIAN restaurant in Glasgow's West End will close down to be transformed into a new venture.

Di Maggio's in Ruthven Lane will shut its doors on Sunday before opening back up mid-October as the city's second Chaakoo Bombay Cafe.

The £200,000 'collaborating' investment by independent restaurant group DRG will bring the restaurant known for classic Iranian grill dishes and traditional Bombay specialties to the city's West End for the first time. Their current base is St Vincent Street.

Chaakoo is a successful collaboration with Paul Sloan and Callum MacLachlainn, who have a great track record with the DRG spanning 10 years.

Successful restaurants include the Topolobamba brand and Mezzedekia alongside the first Chaakoo Bombay Café, which opened in St Vincent Street in 2016. The popular restaurant now serves over 2,000 diners every week.

The DRG has an 18-strong portfolio in Scotland, which includes The Anchor Line, The Atlantic bar & Brasserie and Café Andaluz brand.

Glasgow Times:

With 110 covers, Chaakoo in Ruthven Lane will echo the interior of a traditional Bombay Cafe in India. These restaurants, also known as Irani cafes, were made popular in 1950s Bombay, now Mumbai, by Persian and Iranian immigrants who combined Middle Eastern and Indian cooking styles. The menu ranges from Irani kebabs to Bombay small plates and an extensive selection of curries, including a wide choice of vegetarian options.

Mario Gizzi, founding director of The DRG, is confident that the second Chaakoo will prove equally popular with Glaswegians and visitors alike.

He said: “With more than 35 years’ experience serving the people of Glasgow, we were very confident that Chaakoo would appeal to the city’s appetite for new culinary concepts, but we’ve been taken aback by just how popular it’s become in less than three years.

“We’re very excited about opening our first ‘neighbourhood’ Chaakoo and firmly believe it will be a welcome addition to Glasgow’s West End.”