Serving the Teesside Business Community | 47
Milestone for family restaurant chain
New venture - the new Ingleby Barwick restaurant is the third Al Forno opened by partners AJ Kuzgun ( left ) and Liam Percy .
With family at the heart of everything they do , it ’ s no surprise that the dynamic duo behind Al Forno feel at home inside their latest venture . Julie Martin finds out more .
Directors Erdal Kuzgun and Liam Percy opened their third Al Forno restaurant just a few short weeks ago at Sandgate Park in Ingleby Barwick , and already it ’ s become the destination of choice for many of the hundreds of families living close by .
Stunning industrial chic styling by Iain Crowder , from Newcastle-based Collective Design , provides the wow factor at the venue , which can seat 120 diners over two floors .
For Liam and Erdal – or AJ as he prefers to be called – it was a case of building the business from the ground up .
When they were given the keys to the Ingleby Barwick premises it was little more than a brick and steel frame .
“ It was a blank canvas , there was nothing , not even any windows ,” said AJ .
With their other Al Forno restaurants in Middlesbrough and Darlington well established , the pair focused a huge amount of time , energy and enthusiasm into shaping the Ingleby Barwick venue .
Former engineer Liam said : “ It ’ s the first time Al Forno has embarked on such a project , so as well as being excited we were a little apprehensive . But as there was literally nothing here it meant we could shape the building the way we wanted .
“ We put our trust in Iain and the team from Collective Design , and we are absolutely thrilled with the results . It ’ s everything we hoped it would be and we ’ ve had some fantastic feedback from customers .”
Liam and AJ wanted the restaurant to reflect Al Forno ’ s commitment to family , food and friends , and they knew that to be successful in Europe ’ s largest housing estate they had to get everything just right .
They ’ ve since overseen every aspect of the build , from the fitting of the gloriously enormous windows to developing a fantastic 35-strong team and designing the incredibly tempting menu .
Remaining true to its roots , Al Forno offers a range of superb , fresh Italian food , excellent wine and outstanding service .
AJ and Liam are also firmly committed to using as much fresh produce as they can from local suppliers , and they ’ re delighted to have been working with several local companies since they began their culinary journey 12 years ago .
The opening of the new restaurant marks a milestone for Al Forno .
It means Liam and AJ have created more than 100 jobs since they opened the first restaurant in Middlesbrough in 2005 .
Five years later came Al Forno , Darlington - which also boasts a champagne bar – but for a long time AJ had his sights set on opening a venue in Ingleby Barwick .
That dream has now become a reality , and while the pair know it ’ s early days for their new venture , the number of diners they ’ ve already welcomed through the doors has surpassed their expectations .
“ The first day we opened we had a queue of people wanting a table , it was incredible ,” said AJ .
“ It ’ s been busy ever since , with people taking advantage of our special Sunday lunch sharing platters , our European-style afternoon tea and our sizzling steak nights .
“ We ’ re also open for breakfast which is something new for us , and that ’ s proving popular with people on their way to work or families looking for a great way to start the day .
“ We are taking a long-term view . We want to be here in 20 years ’ time and we want to be a family favourite where people of all generations can sit round the table eating , drinking and enjoying spending time together .”