Owners of Mani in Pasta ‘excited and happy’ as they prepare to open new restaurant in Newbridge, County Kildare

A new Italian restaurant is preparing to say 'Ciao' to the people of Newbridge!

The new restaurant, Mani in Pasta, will be coming to 3 George's Street in Newbridge in the coming weeks.

This premises will be the second one for Mani in Pasta, which already has a restaurant located on Duke Street in Athy.

Speaking exclusively to the Leinster Leader, executive chef Pasquale Maisto and general manager Mersia Nogarotto have expressed their excitement about opening up the restaurant in Newbridge.

Pasquale hails from Fratta Minore, in the countryside of Naples, while Mersia hails from Salto Di Fondi, a small village situated between Rome and Naples.

Commenting on their background, the married couple said: "We moved to Ireland nine years ago, and from day one, it has felt like home to us.

"After spending seven years in Dublin, we decided to give us a chance in the countryside. Moving to Athy has been our best decision; we found a family there and after a while, we decided to open our own amazing restaurant."

They also revealed the meaning behind the name of their restaurant: "'Mani in Pasta' in English means 'hands in the dough': this is the image all Italian people have in their minds when they think about their mothers or grandmothers working in the kitchen; it is the childhood memory of all Italians."

When asked why they decided to set up shop in Newbridge, Pasquale and Mersia had this to say: "Every time we were here in Newbridge, we felt positive vibes and after we realised that there was an opportunity here, we didn’t have to think about it (setting up a restaurant).

"We also have customers from Newbridge all the time, and they kept asking us to open another restaurant in their town."

Mani in Pasta's current restaurant in Athy. Photograph supplied by Pasquale and Mersia.

Pasquale and Mersia have said that they have 12 employees in their Athy restaurant, and added that they are aiming to hire between 24 and 26 people for their Newbridge branch.

Although opening a new branch would make other people nervous, the duo are looking forward to the opportunity: "We are not nervous, we are excited and happy! Our neighbours are amazing and we can’t wait to start."

Speaking about Mani in Pasta's food, they said: "All our dishes are made from original Italian recipes and they are from all over Italy.

"Our huge menu will make everyone happy.

"We have a separate Vegan Menu and a lot of choices for vegetarians, gluten-free pasta dishes and gluten-free pizza bases."

When asked what customers can expect from Mani in Pasta, Pasquale and Mersia had this to say: "Our customers will bring home an authentic Italian experience; all our staff will be trained to a full knowledge our dishes and wines, just as we did (with staff) in Athy."

They also wanted to make one thing perfectly clear to customers: "We want to clarify: we won't put pineapple and chicken on our pizza and pasta dishes... a grandma in Italy would die (if she saw it)! We will use traditional recipes."

Finally, although an exact opening date is yet to be confirmed, Pasquale and Mersia have told the Leader that they hope to open by the end of August, or the beginning of September.

The couple have also set up a new Instagram page, mani.inpastanewbridge, to promote the upcoming Newbridge premises.