Fresh start for popular Italian restaurant as new team prepares to open its doors in Wigan

Sorrento, on Gathurst Road in Orrell, was opened in 1998 by Luciano Cappiello and was known for its pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes.

There were plenty of disappointed diners when the restaurant shut and it has stood empty ever since.

But now a new team has stepped into the helm and is busy transforming Sorrento into Nuovo Sorrentos – which is Italian and means “new Sorrento’s”.

Jason Wyatt, who previously ran a delivery business, is teaming up with Sevdin Nursin, a chef for 14 years at La Mama in Standish, and barber Ozkan Ozen, who runs Turkish Hairlines in Standish.

They have been busy revamping the building and hope to be ready to open in late September.

Jason, who lives in Standish, said: “We are keeping the Italian theme downstairs and giving it a complete makeover. Upstairs we are turning it into a wine bar, a bit like Posthouse.

"Downstairs, during the day you can come in for a drink. It will be more relaxed. A normal Italian has all the knives and forks out on the tables ready, but our tables will be clear, so if you want to come for drink in the day, then you can.”

There will be seating for 80 people in the restaurant – including large benches for groups of up to 30 people – and space for a further 40 people upstairs.

There will be five employees working in the kitchen and five to 10 staff members at the front of house, working both full-time and part-time.

A wider range of beers will be served than before and a “small, select” wine menu, cutting down from the extensive wine selection previously on offer.

Jason says around 85 to 90 per cent of items on the menu can be made gluten-free – something particularly important to him because his partner is coeliac.

In some cases this will be as simple as leaving an ingredient out, while almost all of the pizza bases will be gluten-free and gluten-free bread will also be on offer.

Jason said: “At a lot of places you can’t get anything. A couple of old customers have popped in to ask what we are doing and when we mention the gluten-free offer, they can’t believe it.

"We don’t want to exclude anybody. There will be some bits and bobs on there for vegetarians and vegans as well.”

The trio also want to ensure people are comfortable taking their families to the restaurant.

Jason said: “It’s going to be more chilled, more family-friendly. Eventually we will be doing specials during the day, so it could be if two adults are eating, a child can eat for free. People don’t have the money to come out all the time. We will try to do lots of special offers.”

Jason is looking forward to the first customers visiting Nuovo Sorrentos and says many people have already popped in to see how work is progressing.

"People are happy it’s going to be open,” he said. “When they walk past, I tell them to come in any time to see how we are getting on.”