SERIES TWO – EDITION TWO
In edition two of our ‘Faces behind the Business’ series two, we caught up with Antonio Cillo aged 21, owner and manager of BRUNCHIN’, a healthy eatery & juice bar.
When did you first get into the industry?
At age 14 I started behind the counter in Paolo & Donato’s Italian Deli (my fathers business) learning to make coffees and developing my customer service skills as well as my business knowledge. Since then I have worked across (and managed at times) all the families concepts; including Il Forno, the Italian restaurant on Duke Street.
How long have you worked at BRUNCHIN and what is your job role?
We built BRUNCHIN’ from scratch, upstairs above the deli, in 2020 and finally opened on Christmas Eve! I am the owner and manager of the restaurant and came up with the concept myself.
What is BRUNCHIN ethos?
The thought process behind BRUNCHIN’ is: Healthy, fresh food which tastes amazing, won’t spoil any healthy eating diets and also feels like a treat. We have a built a beautiful restaurant with a relaxed but refined atmosphere; somewhere you can enjoy a 3-course-meal with a few cocktails on a date or just a quick bite and a nutritious smoothie after the gym.
What’s the best bit of advice you could give to anyone looking at working in your line of work?
If I could give anyone advice for running a restaurant, it would be; Identify the needs of your customer and give them what they want. The concept that “the customer is always right” can be a frustrating one at times in hospitality, but ultimately, without our customers we couldn’t do what we love! So listen to all feedback and always be as accommodating as possible; if you look after your customers, they will look after your business.
What do you love most about Liverpool?
What I love about Liverpool is the people! You’ll never find a more welcoming, kind hearted bunch of people. Always willing to lend a hand, have a chat and open their hearts. We moved here when I was 10 years old, so I’ve grown up here but my family are Italian, and every scouser who comes into one of our businesses will try talking Italian or wants to learn! The support you get from the locals is overwhelming, and they’re always up for a laugh and a good time.
If you could describe your business in 3 words what would they be?
My business in 3 words: Fresh, Unique and Healthy.
Follow @brunchinliverpool or visit www.brunchinliverpool.co.uk
Are you a business in the Liverpool City Region and want to feature in our Faces Behind the Business series? Contact us now by emailing hello@explore-liverpool.com or get us on WhatsApp on 07568 532 537
