Just over a year after opening its doors, the Italian restaurant Bella Roma in St Helens town centre has announced it will serve its final customers on Saturday, July 25. The family-run establishment, located on Claughton Street, shared the news on social media, citing ill health and other undisclosed reasons for the closure.
Family's 'heartbreaking decision'
The owners, brothers Francesco, Fabio, and Valerio Cangemi, said the decision had not been taken lightly. In a statement to customers, they wrote: "Some really sad news unfortunately, this Saturday 25th will be our last day of trading. Unfortunately, due to ill health and other reasons we just cannot carry on. We appreciate all the support over the last year but we have had no other choice but to make this very heartbreaking decision."
Bella Roma was opened by Francesco Cangemi, reviving a well-known family name in St Helens' restaurant scene. The business was inspired by the original Bella Roma on George Street, which was run by his parents for 20 years before closing in 2017. Francesco aimed to bring traditional Italian cuisine back to the town centre.
Brothers also run Little Italy in Rainford
In addition to Bella Roma, the Cangemi brothers operate Little Italy in Rainford, a small restaurant seating only 16. The ECHO previously reported that Little Italy was thriving just weeks after opening. The brothers had long dreamed of running their own restaurant but hesitated until the farm shop on Ormskirk Road became available.
Francesco told the ECHO: "My daughter goes to school in Rainford and we’ve been going past this old farm shop for years and we’ve always said it would be a good spot for a restaurant. We said it again and again and eventually said ‘lets just go and have a look’."
The brothers completed Little Italy's renovation themselves, working "two months non-stop day and night". Both Francesco and his twin brother Fabio are electricians, so they handled all the electrical work at the restaurant.
Passion for fresh, daily-changing menus
Discussing their approach at Little Italy, Francesco said: "We all share the roles in the restaurant - Valerio is mainly kitchen as he has a lot more experience than us but we all do whatever we need to do to help out. On the days that the Buratta arrives from Italy, that same day it will go on the sharing platters but then the next day we may have lots of lasagne and cannellini and the next it may be lots of meats and cheeses - we change it up every day. Every day, we go to the fish or veg market, so if we see something fresh that we like, we will then make something new for the day."
The closure of Bella Roma marks a setback for the Cangemi family's presence in St Helens, though they continue to operate Little Italy in Rainford. The restaurant will serve its last meals on Saturday, July 25.
