Aaron Rutigliano, owner from Puglia, closes his shop after 15 years, citing Brexit and a changed European scenario in the British capital. He plans to “return home” to Milan or Rome.
The news
A bolt from the blue has struck the Italian gastronomic scene in London. The Gola restaurant, for fifteen years a reference point for Italian cuisine in the United Kingdom (as well as being very popular with soccer players and celebrities), has unexpectedly closed its doors. Behind this drastic decision lies the reflection of the Apulian owner, Aaron Rutigliano, who has recently come to a decision that was as painful as it was carefully considered. The epilogue to this success story, which had transformed Gola into a true emblem of Italian excellence across the border, can be traced back to two main factors highlighted by Rutigliano: the prolonged effects of Brexit and the perceived decline of London as a true “European capital.”
Despite his disappointment at the end of a project that lasted a decade and a half, Rutigliano is now looking to the future, turning his attention to Italy with a view to new opportunities. The outlook? A full-fledged return home: “I'm sad to have left London after so many years, but I can't wait to start over in Italy, for another exciting adventure,” Rutigliano said in an interview with Repubblica.
The closure of Gola is not just the end of a restaurant, but another significant indicator of the repercussions that geopolitical and fiscal changes are having on Italian businesses abroad, prompting successful figures such as Rutigliano to return to their country of origin. After all, the entrepreneur makes no secret of his optimism about the new growth prospects in Italy, which is now considered more dynamic and attractive for international investment and talent: “Nowadays, Milan and Rome in particular are the new European capitals in Italy: many foreigners, mostly British, are moving here for tax breaks, as my lawyer, who deals with this very issue, confirms. They are lively and dynamic places.”
