Couple brings slice of Italy to Bolton-le-Sands

An entrepreneurial Lancashire couple will unveil their new pizzeria, coffee house and Gelateria in Bolton-le-Sands next week.

Miaitalia is located on Byepass Road and will sell authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, coffee and ice cream.

David and Katy Waddington first launched the Miaitalia brand in 2010 with the opening of a coffee bar and retail premises of the same name in Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.

Now, the couple have decided to go one step further and open a pizzeria.

David said: “Katy and I have always had a passion for all things Italian – my grandmother Gina is originally from Italy and moved to England after the Second World War.

“The response to Miaitalia in Kirkby Lonsdale was fantastic and we’re hoping to match our success here, especially now that the business has developed so much: From mobile coffee shops, to retail, to a pizzeria.”

David and Katy, who gave up their careers in the newspaper industry to go into business together, started out with three mobile coffee outlets at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston.

Miaitalia was created off the back of the success of their Caffeine Rush coffee franchise, which the couple ran together for six and a half years.

But it was almost a decade ago that David first set his sights on the building which will now house the Miaitalia pizzeria.

The property was previously the Hawthorns Restaurant.

David said: “I first looked around the building many years ago and thought it was ideal, but the timing just wasn’t right. Since then we’ve built up the Miaitalia brand and now, ten years on, here we are.”

The building was in a state of disrepair when work first began at the site in June and it has undergone a complete renovation in time for the opening.

David and Katy have received support in their new venture from Adam Parton, a director of Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, based in Lancaster.

Adam also assisted the couple in setting up the Kirkby Lonsdale business and provides ongoing accounts and taxation advice.

Adam said: “David and Katy have true entrepreneurial flair, as evidenced by the success already achieved by Miaitalia. The pizzeria will undoubtedly enhance what is already on offer in Bolton-le-Sands and support the village’s reputation for quality independent retailers.

“This is a local business established by local people, and it’s fantastic to see new businesses like this one in the area.” The pizzeria has already created several full and part time jobs in the area and David and Katy say they have plans to add more Miaitalia settings to their portfolio.