Two brothers who travelled hundreds of miles from Italy and now make 'pastries to die for' in Liverpool city centre.
In 2018, Alessio and Federico Carlisi opened their new restaurant Carlisi on Dale Street. They told the ECHO it was their dream to have their own business after working in the hospitality industry for several years. The brothers grew up in a small town in southern Sicily called Grotte.
It was there that they learned the art of customer service from their father, who owned a mobile street food van, and the importance of crisply fresh, good quality ingredients from their mother. Despite being in a close family, Alessio moved to Liverpool and worked on Duke Street for several years.
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Younger brother Federico followed afterwards to attend catering college - his interests, however, were in mixology. The business was open for just over a year when the pandemic happened.
Part of the brothers’ continued success with Carlisi is their ability to adapt to the situation at hand. Takeaway cocktails were offered and the restaurant became an adopted deli.
Since the lockdowns were lifted in early spring 2021, the business has increased and Federico believes that the city is expanding, he said: “From Liverpool One to Liverpool Two - going down to Bold Street and Church Street. When the city gets bigger, business will too."
However, the brothers currently have no plans to move the business to alternative larger premises. This, Federico said, might damage the brand: “We keep it quiet. We get a lot of local people [in the morning]. People can take a seat in our bar and have a
Read on liverpoolecho.co.uk