A pizza parlour which opened at a play centre to survive the pandemic could stay permanently as it plans to open a rustic Italian restaurant on the site.
Llineos Pizza Company, which started selling takeaway pizzas last summer, has been 'extremely successful', according to Matthew O'Neill who came up with the idea when his soft play centre in Swinton had to close due to Covid.
Now, he is converting the Go Kart track at Playkidds in Moorside Road into a restaurant so he can welcome customers to dine in when the rules are relaxed.
He said: "2020 was a very difficult year for a lot of people. But there's certainly a few positives.
"From my personal perspective, the positive is I now have an addition to my business.
"We've been lucky that we've been able to remain afloat throughout the pandemic.
"When it came to it, there were only a few things we could do to continue trading. A takeaway was one.
"At the moment, we have been delivering pizzas across Salford.
"Now we want to welcome people from around Salford for a pleasant meal."
Matthew says the plan for a new restaurant feels like a 'natural progression' as the pizza takeaway has been 'so positively received' by the local community.
And with the soft play centre creating more repeat custom for the company, he will not be mourning the loss of the Go Kart track which was built in 2015.
He said: "I'm very aware that people coming to a soft play centre might not be their idea of a night out, but the work we're doing is going to ensure that it's a pleasant experience."
The restaurant and soft play centre will be under one roof with the same front door, but they will be separated by a partition wall and different decorations.
Inspired by his ingredients – the San Marzano tomatoes which are grown on Mount Vesuvius – pictures of Italian hillsides will be put up in the restaurant.
And making use of its location within an industrial warehouse, Matthew plans to keep the raw iron girders exposed, adding to the rustic Italian theme.
Matthew says he is working tirelessly seven-days-a-week, 12-hours-a-day, cleaning, decorating and building the new walls, ready for opening in May.
He said: "I didn't have any experience running a pizza shop before July. So this is something I'm certainly not afraid to do. It's something that drives me."
The takeaway allowed the company to continue to trade regardless of the changing restrictions and meant Matthew could continue to employ staff.
Now, the new restaurant could create another eight jobs at the company.
Salford council is due to determine the planning application by early May.
