A North Wales ice-cream entrepreneur is expanding her business empire by taking over a successful restaurant run by the same family for generations.
Carrie Parisella is the new owner of Nino’s Restaurant, overlooking the promenade at Rhos on Sea, and plans to take on new staff to help her develop the business.
Renamed as Parisella’s At Nino’s, it will continue to sell the ice-creams made by Carrie’s dad at the family’s factory in Conwy and she also plans to introduce a wider ranging menu plus open later on summer evenings.
Carrie already owns an ice-cream parlour in Conwy’s town centre and is opening two other new sites, one in Conwy and one in Llandudno, in addition to the takeover of Nino’s.
Carrie said: “Parisella’s has supplied Nino’s with ice-cream for a long time and we know that the restaurant has a great reputation. It was set up by Nino’s grandfather who, like my own grandfather Domenico, came from Italy to the UK in the early 1900s.
“I knew that Nino himself wished to retire although unfortunately there wasn’t a family member who was able to take on the business. His family are close friends with my family – in fact we trace our roots back to the same area in Italy. So really, taking it over seems like keeping the business in the family.
“Nino’s already has a strong customer base with the same people coming back for years, many of them travelling from quite a distance away. I want to ensure they will continue to come for their favourite dishes, while attracting a new clientele.”
Carrie, a former financial advisor and Green Deal broker, has undertaken specialist training to enable her to apply for a licence to serve alcohol at her new premises.
She added: “All the social media reviews have nothing but praise for the quality of the food, atmosphere and customer service currently provided at Nino’s. I want to ensure this will continue, and go from strength to strength.
“I have named it Parisella’s at Nino’s, as people recognise and trust both names as a sign of quality.
“I plan to invest in the business with a full refurbishment during the winter months and, once the refurbishment has taken place, I intend to have longer trading hours, into the evenings, with a new dinner menu to include steak nights, and various other themes.
“It’s a perfect location and the outdoor arched area at the front has great views over the sea-front, quay and the bay, especially as the sun sets.
“As part of this development I will be looking to take on at least five new permanent staff and hopefully recruit even more workers next summer as customer demand grows.”
Among those welcoming Carrie to Rhos-on-Sea is Anna Openshaw, project manager for Colwyn Business Improvement District (BID), which aims to improve the conditions of the main business communities in Colwyn Bay, Rhos-on-Sea, Old Colwyn and Mochdre.
Anna said: “The restaurant has a brilliant location on the waterfront with wonderful views – and Rhos has a great feeling about it, a real village by the seaside with a great evening cafe culture.
“There are a lot of independent shops here, plus we are seeing an increasing number of visitors who are attracted by the lovely views and the different businesses.
“I wish Carrie good luck with her latest venture and I will definitely be popping along to try the range of ice-creams.”
The restaurant was previously run by Antonio Cerefice, or Nino – the third generation of the same family at the helm. It was opened by his grandparents in 1938 and they later handed it to their son, Nino’s father, who in turn passed it on to Nino.
Carrie learnt her business skills as a youngster working for the Parisella family company. She initially worked at H Samuel’s in Llandudno as manager before branching out into the financial world. Her career has included spells at Marks and Spencer Financial Services, Alliance and Leicester, 75point3 independent financial advisers, and the Woolwich building societies.
After completing her financial advisor qualifications, she set up Thinc Financial Consultancy in Crag y Don, which later moved to Trinity Square, Llandudno. In 2011 Carrie became a Government accredited Green Deal broker for its flagship policy, the Green Deal.
Since selling out of the Green Deal in 2016, Carrie has concentrated on building her own property portfolio with plans for further food-based developments in North Wales in the coming months.
Carrie’s grandfather, Domenic Parisella, who hailed from Colle San Magno in Italy, first moved to Scotland in 1912, where he learnt the ice-cream trade. In 1943 he moved with his wife and children to North Wales, where he worked with the Forte family, also involved with ice-cream, and to whom his wife was related.
Domenic went to found his own ice-cream business empire, which was later taken over by his son Joe – Carrie’s father. Joe still runs the wholesale ice cream business from the company’s factory in Conwy town centre along with son Tony and daughters Emma and Anna, and supply the award winning ice cream all over North Wales and as far as the Midlands.
To find out more about Colwyn BID please visit www.colwynbid.co.uk and for Parisella’s at Nino’s call 01492 544298
