A THRIVING Italian restaurant business is to expand by opening a neighbouring pizzeria.

Il Padrino, run by Fausto Mazza in Church Street, Colchester, will open the pizzeria in the former Old Court coffee house in November.

The Old Court, two doors along from Il Padrino, closed about three weeks ago.

Mr Mazza said the new premises will be called Il Padrino Italian Pizzeria.

He added: "There is a need for this in the town, it is simple.

"There is nothing authentic in Colchester. It is almost next door so I can control it from where I am."

Mr Mazza opened Il Padrino as an authentic Italian eaterie in 2013 with its focus on pasta and meat dishes.

Work will soon start on getting his new project ready to open.

"It has got to be painted inside and outside and of course I am redesigning the kitchen myself," Mr Mazza added.

As part of this, a wood-fired oven from Italy will be installed brick by brick and is due to arrive mid-October.

Mr Mazza said: "It comes in pieces and we need a bricklayer to put all the bricks together."

Il Padrino Italian Pizzeria will have its own pizza chef, kitchen chef and front of house staff, creating six jobs in total.

It will be open Tuesday to Saturday noon to 2.30pm and from 6pm to 10pm.

On Sundays its opening hours will be noon to 9pm.

It will also offer takeaway.

Mr Mazza said the owners of The Old Court had run it for about ten years and closed because they wanted to concentrate on their other business, Smith's bar cafe, also in Church Street.