When Dominic Criniti confirmed his family is still planning to open a Criniti’s Restaurant in Wollongong soon, it was a chance to find out more about what is coming.
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Mr Criniti revealed the Italian themed restaurant chain is presently identifying a site. “We will be in town in late 2017 … you can count on that,” he said.
The family is well aware of the enormous interest generated when the Illawarra Mercury initially reported a Criniti’s Restaurant was due to open last May in Keira Street.
But GPT revealed in July it was no longer planning to proceed on that site and that Outback Jacks Bar & Grill will open next to Kinn Thai Restaurant instead.
However, Criniti’s Restaurant stationary still says Wollongong is opening soon after it lists the other eight restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle.
A visit to speak to personnel in Darling Harbour revealed a second Melbourne restaurant recently opened successfully and the family is now beginning to focus its attention on Wollongong.
So what is Criniti’s bringing to the Illawarra? A company spokesperson said the philosophy since the first restaurant was opened in Parramatta by Frank Criniti in 2003 was to provide dishes that conveyed the southern Italian way of life through the same aromas and tastes experienced by generations of his family.
His parents grew up in Italy before migrating to Australia in the 60’s where they continued the tradition of having a vegetable garden in the back yard and making everything they ate the traditional way.
But Frank also loves Italian made motorbikes, cars and machinery. In fact many things Italian feature in the restaurants which are all a little bit different in size and layout. Which is why many people travel to the different dining locations to enjoy more of the Criniti’s experience.