Barolo, the Italian restaurant from the people behind The Anchor Line, will reopen this month on Mitchell Street in Glasgow with a new look offering "modern day northern Italian fare in a Piedmont inspired setting".

The DRG, which also has Di Maggio's and Cafe Andaluz in its 25-strong portfolio, plan to completely transform and reposition the current Barolo Grill site this autumn and work is currently under way.

The restaurant will now be known as Barolo and will offer "understated, classic Italian cooking alongside fine wines and signature cocktails".

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The eatery at 92 Mitchell Street has been an Italian restaurant for over half a century, and was said to be home to Glasgow’s first Italian restaurant.

The site first opened as L’Ariosto, described as "the home of the Italian dinner dance and the place to see and be seen".

As recently as 2008, the restaurant still carried out the classic flambe cooking tableside, a favourite of traditional Italian restaurants.

Barolo will "bring 1960s Italian glamour up to date when it opens the cosmopolitan eatery", it is claimed. 

The restaurant will have new natural light from the previously covered glazed cupola.

Design features will include new branding with a palette of rich blue, rose and gold, adding real pavement appeal.

Marble, brass and leather finishes give a classic feeling to the interiors and artworks tell the story of the Italian heritage of Piedmont.

Barolo will be open for breakfast, lunch, cicchetti - Italian tapas - and dinner, seven days a week and will serve hand-made pasta, seafood and grill dishes from Italy using the finest ingredients with a 150 cover capacity that manages to feel intimate, spread across the bar, main dining room, private dining room for up to 35 guests and outdoor pavement terrace.

Tony Conetta, director at the DRG, said: ​“We re-invented L’Ariosto back in 2008 and time has come again for Barolo to be transformed. We wanted somewhere serving fresh pasta and classic Italian cookery but where understated Italian style gives a sense of occasion – whether you’re dropping in for breakfast, cocktails or a fresh pasta lunch.” 

Highlights from the new look menu will include fresh Buratta on sourdough with shaved Black Truffle and extra virgin olive oil. Fresh pastas will be kept classic: fresh Linguine, Guanciale, Pecorino and egg yolk and the chargrill will be offering up charred sliced Fillet of Beef, pickled walnuts and horseradish cream.

To drink, the bar serves up Italian classics, such as the Negroni and Spritz, as well as some of the finest wines from around the Barolo region. 

The Co-op is to open or extend 65 stores in the coming months under a multi-million pound investment programme which will create up to 1,000 new jobs.

More than 100 outlets will also receive major makeovers as part of a £130 million programme for its stores.

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The new jobs are in addition to the 1,000 permanent roles that came from temporary jobs created during the economic lockdown.

Up to 12 new Co-op franchise stores are also set to launch this year, including at Stirling University, with more university locations planned for 2021.

The Co-op said its research shows that most adults have relied on their local convenience store for food and other goods in recent months, adding that it has expanded its online shop.

David Roberts, managing director, Co-op Property, said: "Multiple factors motivate consumers, with ease, choice and added services chief among them.
"We continually look for new locations, sites which are definitively convenient in their community."

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive, James Lowman, commented: "Convenience stores have firmly established themselves as a place that local communities can rely on, not just for groceries but for a growing range of services that have kept the nation going during the last few months.

"This commitment to investing in stores in the coming months is testament to the importance of the convenience sector and the role that local shops play in people's everyday lives."

Over 50 new stores will open by the end of the year.

Demand for new cars fell by a "disappointing" 5.8% last month, industry data shows.

Some 87,226 new cars were registered in the UK in August compared with 92,573 during the same month in 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

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Registrations during the first eight months of the year are down 39.7% compared with the same period in 2019.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "The decline is disappointing, following some brief optimism in July.

"However, given August is typically one the new car market's quietest months, it's important not to draw too many conclusions from these figures alone.

"With the all-important plate change month just around the corner, September is likely to provide a better barometer. As the nation takes steps to return to normality, protecting consumer confidence will be critical to driving a recovery."

The automotive industry has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with year-on-year demand down 97.3% in April, 89.0% in May and 34.9% in June.

July saw an 11.3% increase, which was attributed to pent-up demand and special offers.

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