In a boost to Oxford’s city centre hospitality economy, Gusto Italian, the premium casual restaurant group, has announced the opening of its new restaurant in Oxford later this year.
Founded in Cheshire in 2005, Gusto Italian has 13 beautiful restaurants across the UK offering a contemporary Italian menu, using fresh, carefully selected, simple ingredients to create the best-tasting food and drink around.
The new 10,000 sq ft Gusto Italian restaurant and bar will open in the historic Mitre Hotel building on Oxford High Street before Christmas. It will be the company’s 14th site in the UK.
Work has begun to transform the Grade II listed property, which has been vacant since 2018. Gusto Italian is working with local contractors and historic building specialists to ensure the integrity of the property is preserved, including its historic features.
Guests at the new restaurant can enjoy an immersive Italian dining experience under olive trees and the venue’s open kitchen and chef’s table-style pizza experience.
The Oxford restaurant will provide 170 covers in an expansive downstairs dining room, a 60-cover upstairs private dining room for bookings and a cosy cocktail bar.
Matt Snell, CEO of Gusto Italian, said: “Regeneration work on our new Oxford site is now underway, and it’s exciting to see the venue starting to take shape. We can’t wait to open and welcome guests to enjoy the Gusto experience in our spectacular surroundings and celebrate life’s special moments together.
“The restaurant will transport our guests to Southern Italy and provide an immersive dining experience for brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks.
“Our interactive chef’s table Pizza Experience is hugely popular and the open kitchen means guests can enjoy watching our talented chefs passionately and skillfully create our contemporary Italian dishes.”
The Pizza Experience will be available for groups of six to ten people and includes four Italian courses and fizz on arrival. Guests will be treated to hands-on pizza making at the chef’s table for a fun-filled two-hour experience for the ultimate special occasion.
Matt Snell continued: “Oxford is a beautiful city, which has so much synergy with our brand and spirit and we are looking forward to becoming a big part of the community.
“Integral to our plans has been preserving the original character and history of our new home while introducing our signature Gusto Italian flare to make the restaurant Oxford’s go-to-premium destination in the city.”
Gusto Italian is now seeking people to join its team at the restaurant and bar. Multiple permanent job opportunities are available, including managers, sous chefs, chef de partie, bar managers, hosts, servers, kitchen porters and bar staff.
“We’re now actively recruiting for various fantastic roles and I’d encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch. The team at Gusto Italian are not a team, we’re more of a family and we’re looking for passionate, energetic individuals to join us to help make every guest experience a memorable one,” added Matt Snell
