To celebrate the arrival of Gusto Italian to Oxford’s dining scene, a fleet of classic MINI Coopers took to the streets of Oxford on Friday to deliver the restaurant’s 24-hour proved sourdough pizzas all over the city.
The event, ahead of the eagerly anticipated restaurant opening this week, evoked scenes of the classic 1969 hit film The Italian Job featuring Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill and Raf Vallone.
Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice joined the Oxford team on the eye-catching tour. The BAFTA-winning Sicilian dancer helped Gusto Italian chefs deliver pizza and prosecco to local businesses, key workers and emergency services throughout the day.
They were treated to an array of Gusto Italian signature pizzas as well as bottles of prosecco to help them kickstart the weekend. Stops along the way included Oxford City Football Club, Oxford Bus Company, Thames Valley Police and the Oxford Business Park.
The trio of MINIs were also spotted at iconic locations around the city, including the Radcliffe Camera.
Matt Snell, CEO of Gusto Italian, said: “Freshly prepared sourdough pizzas are a Gusto Italian staple, so it was great fun giving people a first taste in Oxford ahead of our grand opening.
“Gusto Italian is a place where people have great fun and share special moments, and that is what the activity was all about. So many people enjoyed the event, and we hope to welcome them to the new restaurant to make memories of their own.”
Gusto Italian diners can pick from eight different varieties of sourdough pizza or select from a range of toppings to create their own masterpiece.
The Oxford restaurant will also offer Gusto Italian’s popular Pizza Experience. Groups between six and 10 people can enjoy four courses, fizz, fun and flour, in a two-hour experience while making their own sourdough pizzas.
Mr Snell added: “Oxford, as the home of the MINI, was the perfect place for us to reenact the ‘Italian Job’. It was exciting to partner with Giovanni on this, and we were thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response we received from members of the public and local businesses.
“We cannot wait to finally open our doors later this week. We have gone to great lengths to restore the historic building to its former glory and are now ready to welcome everyone back to this Oxford landmark.”
Gusto Italian opens to the public this Thursday (1st December) for lunch, dinner, and drinks. The restaurant will be open seven days a week and will serve brunch at the weekends.
It will offer a fully immersive drinking and dining experience through a contemporary menu, which will serve popular Italian classics, as well as Gusto signature dishes.
