LIVING Ventures today revealed plans for a £10m rebranding of its Est Est Est restaurant brand.
The outlets will trade under the “Gusto restaurant and bar" name and the Est Est Est brand will disappear from the high street by September.
Venues in Didsbury, Heswall, Edinburgh and Newcastle have already been converted, with the Alderley Edge restaurant in Cheshire next in line for a refit. The venue will re-open as Gusto on February 23.
Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts, co-founders of the company which created the “Living Room” brand, said Gusto would offer the best elements of the former brand in an “improved bespoke environment”.
Bacon said: "We are confident that the new concept will go down well. We didn`t need to do much with the interiors at Alderley Edge because it was already a very sexy and atmospheric venue, Est Est Est needed to evolve for us as a format but we`ve made sure we have kept all of the best bits in Gusto.”
Gusto is influenced by 1950s American Italian restaurants and the menu, developed by Stefano Vannini, Gusto’s Tuscan development chef, focuses on freshly prepared classic and contemporary Italian dishes.
Once all the Est Est Est branches are converted, Knutsford-based Living Ventures will then look to roll out the new concept throughout the UK.