You know you’re doing something right when some of your regular customers still come through the door every week after 23 years.
That’s what has kept the family run Cano’s Pizzeria in Dungannon open for so long, and owner Noreen Lafferty says knowing your regulars is the most important part of the job.
Noreen and her husband moved to the Co Tyrone town from Belfast in the 1990s, and thought there was a gap in the market for an affordable restaurant in the area.
That’s when former nurse Noreen decided to take the plunge and open Cano’s, a decision she has not regretted for a second in the last 23 years.
“When we lived in Belfast we used to always go out for a pizza on a Wednesday night, then we moved to Dungannon and realised that there wasn’t really anywhere to go out for a casual meal,” Noreen told MyTyrone.
“It was in 1998 we opened, there was one takeaway pizza place at that time but no restaurants.
“It was something we always ate and we loved Italian food, we would go on holiday there a lot as well.
“We’ve expanded a few times during that time, and a lot of our customers have been coming to us since the day and hour we opened.
“We’re very lucky it as been very successful, I never thought we would still be open 23 years later.”
The Covid 19 pandemic forced Cano’s to adapt to different ways of working, but the people of Dungannon still came for their pizzas throughout the lockdowns, as Noreen said it provided a small treat for people during dire times.
“Going out to get a pizza or whatever on a Friday night was maybe the only outlet that people had during those times.
“I felt it was very important that we stayed open and give people that option, to give our regular customers that wee bit of normality in their lives.
“Staying open was also a priority for myself and the staff mentally, as we just enjoyed coming into work then for the social aspect of it.”
Noreen still puts in the hours at Cano’s to make the place a success, doing whatever is needed on the day, whether it be cooking, cleaning or welcoming customers through the door.
“It’s all I’ve known and all my daily have known really, my eldest was just two when we opened and the youngest was just a couple of months.
“It was difficult to maintain with family life at times due to the unsociable hours, but all my daughters have worked here and they all understand that if you want a successful business you have to work at it, there’s no other way around it.”
