Cozzolino brothers exit Banca di Roma four months after city centre restaurant opening

Banca di Roma has lost its head chef team. Antonio, Pasquale and Simone Cozzolino, protégés of London-based chef Francesco Mazzei, ended their collaboration last week. The city centre restaurant opened in March this year after an extensive renovation of the landmark building on Royal Exchange Square.

Banca di Roma’s owner Guiseppe Marini was at the restaurant yesterday to meet with senior staff. His Viva Italia Group includes Tony Macaroni, Mozza Pizza and Nardini’s Cafe. His hospitality businesses in Glasgow include Doppio Malto on George Square.

The restaurant was introduced with a menu rooted in the Cozzolino brothers’ family story: “Antonio, Pasquale, and Simone will bring to Glasgow the traditions and flavours from their three-generation Vesuvian tomato family farm in the Campania region of Italy, together with the authenticity of Italian dishes and innovative flair.”

The launch event on 9 March saw invited guests gathering in the main dining room that features marble flooring, decorative cornicing, pillars and a winding staircase. The 180-seat open plan restaurant in the A-listed former Royal Bank of Scotland building covers two floors, with private dinings rooms as well as two bars that can fit an additional 100 guests.

Banca di Roma closed for lunch this week, cancelling bookings, but maintained a dinner service. Initially this was described as a “summer staffing issue” but the restaurant confirmed this afternoon that the trio of chefs had departed. The restaurant Instagram account had unfollowed the accounts of the three brothers earlier this week.

Banca di Roma Manager manager Filomena Visaggi, who joined the business from Hakkasan in London’s Mayfair as part of the front of house launch team, said: “We can confirm that the Cozzolino Brothers have moved on from Banca di Roma to other projects and we’d like to thank them for everything they’ve done to launch the restaurant successfully and we wish them all the best in their next endeavours.

“We’re looking forward to the next chapter at Banca di Roma with some new exciting team members that we’re sure you’ll get to know soon enough and brand new dishes”

When contacted, chef Antonio Cozzolino said he left the business last week. His brother Pasquale said “unfortunately for the project we had in mind we stopped the collaboration with the owner. Never started our kitchen concept!”