There’s a real buzz about a new eatery in Leyland – a fully licensed Pizzeria, Trattoria and Gelateria which offers eat in, take away or delivery – called Franco’s.
If you are from Leyland or surrounding areas, or indeed within Lancashire, you may well be aware of the popular Italian restaurant La Corte, run by Franco Iozzi and Angela Brown. The restaurant business, a local favourite had been highly popular and successful with guests from wide and far, until coronavirus meant it had to close to the public.
After five successful trading years, La Corte had shut its doors completely in late November 2020. However, the independent franchisee, which trade under La Corte Limited, opened up the new pizzeria, just up the street at Earnshaw Bridge in Leyland.
Explaining the reason behind the move, Angela explains, “We have left La Corte to go a mile down the road. Of course, like every suffering local restaurant, we closed because of Covid. It was also impossible to impose social distancing at our other place, due to the small makeup of the room: the small staircase, the till being was in close proximity to the doorways. We just couldn’t do it, and we wanted to keep our customers safe. We have had to remain shut since the first lockdown.”
Ms Brown continued to say that while coronavirus was a huge financial factor in making the move to a building which was a former bakery, there were other issues that made the move a quite pragmatic choice.
“To be honest, we have realised, to carry on in such a huge building with many stairs was an issue as my partner, Franco, is disabled, having his leg amputated in his mid-twenties. We did have a mini-lift but it was sometimes used by customers, while his shoulders were aching from having switch between floors, and his one leg he was standing on was hurting from being on it all day,” she said.
“We wanted to take some of the pressure off, so we thought to get something a bit smaller with fewer overheads while making it more informal.”
What the entrepreneurial couple have been able to achieve in such a short time frame is quite remarkable and has taken the crown as Leyland’s very first ice cream parlour. Now, you can find a fully license pizzeria and trattoria, offering a variety of food including over 30 flavours of Italian ice creams. The owners Angela and Franco have created a place to meet friends, enjoy a typical, relaxed Italian trattoria style atmosphere with no table service. Informal with the same amazing restaurant quality favourites. There’s actually nothing quite like it in Leyland and the surrounding areas.
Ms Brown also adds: “We have made this new place a typical Italian eatery: you get your food in containers; you take it home or eat it there. During the covid pandemic, we did start making use of takeaways. More of our older customers, who never used takeaway before, started to call us for delivery, and they loved it. We are so lucky we have such a brilliant bunch of people helping us. We owed it to Leyland to open a new shop. “
Support local independent businesses who are doing their best to adapt and survive in the midst of the pandemic, whilst providing valuable services to our communities. Enjoy a visit to Franco’s in Leyland and sample one of their many dishes and ice creams – https://francosleyland.co.uk open 4:30pm – 10pm Tuesdays – Sunday’s.
