Medici set to return as a restaurant after owner rethinks plan
A RESTAURANT popular with families and couples will reopen today - two years after it suddenly closed.
Medici Restaurant, which first opened 21 years ago in North Ferriby, closed as a restaurant in October 2018, and relaunched as an events venue, hosting everything from work functions and weddings, to birthdays and baby showers.
Owner Medi Karimian said although the events business was popular and thriving, it has not been viable since lockdown, and with the rule of six still in place, he’s had no choice but to cancel all pre-booked parties.
With restrictions likely to be in place for some time, Mr Karimian said he has taken the decision to re-open the original restaurant and is excited about the new plan.
He said: “We are reopening as a restaurant, like before, the menu is different, but mainly has the same sort of thing that we used to.
“It is exactly two years ago that we changed it, it was doing very well, but because of the situation today, a lot of parties have been cancelled, we had loads of weddings [cancel], so we said ‘OK, we will put it back to a restaurant’.
“I am very excited about taking it back, because although it was very good and popular, this is what I’ve been trained for.
“Our customers are very excited, we have had lots of emails. They have missed us a lot.”
Mr Karimian said he has employed Italian chefs and waiters, but that the restaurant will have a Mediterranean theme with French, Italian and Greek dishes.
The restaurant will be open Tuesday to Sunday, and for the first time will also offer a Sunday roast.
Mr Karimian said the new menu includes pasta and barbecue dishes, and over the next few weeks, pizza will also be introduced.
Initially, the popular family hour which offered 25 per cent off for those eating before 7pm will not be offered, because in line with government rules, the restaurant will have to close at 10pm, making a second sitting impossible.
Mr Karimian added: “We’ve done very reasonable prices, but there will be no family hour. If we did family hour we would lose the second sitting because of the 10pm curfew.
“After the coronavirus, hopefully we will bring back our family hour discount, it was very popular.”
Over the years the restaurant has tried different things to increase its popularity. In December 2015 Bar 10 was launched.
Later, in 2016 the restaurant went through a rebrand. The manager at the time said they wanted to create a late night bar and dancing venue.
A new cocktail bar, called Trees opened, within the same building as the main restaurant, which still exists.