Eileen Dunne and Stefano Crescenzi, the owners of the Dunne & Crescenzi food chain, are to take over the former Thorntons restaurant in Dublin's Portobello.
The new restaurant, due to open at Easter after refurbishment, will be called Nonna Valentina in memory of Mr Crescenzi's Roman grandmother.
"It will be more upmarket than our other restaurants, but not at upmarket prices," said Ms Dunne yesterday. Seating between 40-60 people, it will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Chef Kevin Thornton relocated to the Fitzwilliam Hotel two years ago.
The couple, who worked for the UN in Rome before returning to Ireland in l995, first took over a newsagent's in Sutton and turned it into an Italian delicatessen. In 2000 they opened their first wine bar, Dunne & Crescenzi in South Frederick Street, followed by La Corte, a sandwich and coffee bar in the Food Hall in Liffey Street.
Since then they have opened a number of other related food ventures, including the Boathouse Cafe in Farmleigh and Bar Italia restaurants in Ormond and Essex Quays, with others due to open at Easter in the Financial Services Centre and in the new Dundrum Shopping Centre in September.
