Tony Hussain plans major Papa Tony's roll-out

Hussain, who has interests in more than 30 restaurants in Scotland, including Cafe India in Glasgow, currently operates two Papa Tony's restaurants in Glasgow - on Sauchiehall Street and at Springfield Quay.

A spokesperson for the company told BigHospitality Hussain had invested £2m in the business to open another three restaurants in the city this year with the first to open at the Braehead shopping centre at the end of May. 

Sites in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, Dunfermline, Perth, St Andrews, Kirkcaldy, Aviemore and Hamilton are currently being considered for further expansion with the first Edinburgh restaurant expected to open in Leith Walk at the end of June. 

Scotland will be the main focus for expansion with Newcastle thought to be the first target for England before moving the brand further south. It is estimated the move will create 500 new jobs. 

Hussain said: "Papa Tony's is going to be a UK wide brand. Within the next few months we will have five up and running in Glasgow and at least another 20 across Scotland and south of the border in the next five years.”

Building on success ​

Trade at the first two Papa Tony's restaurants, the second of which opened last year, has grown by more than 25 per cent over the last six months and Hussain, a self-confessed Italophile, said the family-friendly brand had the right ingredients for expansion. 

The company, which claims to be the first Halal Italian restaurant chain in the UK, works closely with local suppliers, which Hussain said meant the supply chain was fully traceable. 

“All my meat, fish, vegetables and other ingredients are bought fresh from local businesses. People are fed up with being fobbed off with food that has been prepared in big industrial-style factories and then re-heated by untrained kitchen staff for which they are expected to pay a premium price," he said. 

“At Papa Tony's we know exactly where the food we serve comes from and that's what people want. We also understand that if we support local businesses it helps the community and they support us."

Expansion plans are not expected to change the company's ethos, according to Hussain, as it will work with suppliers local to new restaurants while maintaining relationships with existing ones for its current restaurants. 

“Papa Tony's is an experience. It's about good quality food made on the premises by trained chefs using locally sourced fresh ingredients that customers can have confidence in,” he said.