Mario’s Restaurant 27 (From York Press)

Mario’s Restaurant 27

10:32am Wednesday 20th July 2011 in Profiles

RELIGION and race-going meet at one happy family-run Italian restaurant in Ripon.

Mario’s Restaurant 27 in Kirkgate, a stone’s throw from Ripon Cathedral and a brisk walk from Ripon Racecourse, is run by Marco Chessa and his wife, Maria, who look after the kitchen, while son, Marco is in charge of front of house, with up to 15 staff serving as many as 90 people at any one time.

Now the Chessas are pitching for both the Family Business Of The Year and the Tourism & Hospitality Business Of The Year titles in The Press Business Awards 2011.

Mario, a second-generation chef, left Napoli for England in 1997 attracted, ironically, by a more consistent all-year-round restaurant sector in this country.

At first the Chessas lived with his sister in Harrogate, where he worked for a number of restaurants in the town, before taking over the lease of what was a bistro known as Restaurant 27 and imbuing it with Italian magic.

Parts of the narrow yet deep building date back eight centuries.

Its proximity to the cathedral meant it was attractive to attendees of its conferences, concerts and, indeed prayers.

Marco said: “Word quickly spread to race-goers that here was a great place to eat and relax, perhaps even celebrate their winnings or drown their sorrows.”

His father said: “Quite apart from the food, our customers get a true taste of Italian life because of the cultural family commitment that surrounds them. We try to make them feel part of that family.”

Mario specialises in pastas and pizzas as well as fresh fish and meat specialities, while Maria specialises in starters and soups as well as the puddings. People sigh over her semifreddo ice cream.

Marco attends to the administration, including organising in-house training for staff and responding to website critiques which, so far, for him have been a pleasure.

Marios achieved five-star ratings for both service and price after a clandestine visit from TripAdvisor, and the restaurant also received favourable reviews from the public in the Good Food Guide’s website.

No surprises, then, that turnover has been increasing yearly by 15 per cent with major investments taking place, such as revamping the kitchen and installing an Italian gelataria-style ice cream/dessert bar.

It has meant that regular customers know to book in advance, because there is a seven-day-a-week demand in the summer and six days in the winter.