The Ferragamo family may be synonymous with fashion – shoes in particular – but it has now branched out into the restaurant business.

Salvatore Ferragamo, the grandson of the original Italian fashion designer, whose name he shares, will be in Malta this evening for the inauguration of the Florentine restaurant concept, Il Borro Tuscan Bistro in St Julian’s.

Explaining his taste for Tuscan delights, Mr Ferragamo tells Times of Malta it was down to his personal passion and attraction towards everything the world of wine represents, coupled with the love and attachment his family has always had for Il Borro estate.

“We have always believed in this project, convinced of the possibilities and infinite facets of this territory,” he says.

For years the Ferragamo family rented the Tuscan estate, until 1993 when it decided to purchase the entire property, including the medieval village and the manor house, which had been destroyed by attacks during World War II. Today it is a resort, spa and winery.

As Il Borro Relais and Chateaux and Il Borro Bistro promote the quintessentially Tuscan taste and feel, why did the family choose Malta for the brand?

“The island is the right place for this project, first of all for the target market, but also for what the island represents in the worldwide collective imagination: a paradise with a rich history of varied traditions; a place of entertainment and relaxation; as small world with big opportunities.

“Moreover, I believe Malta and its traditions are very close to Italian customs, our philosophy and spirit of life,” he adds.

For this project, Mr Ferragamo partnered with Italian entrepreneur Giovanni Dato, who has experience in the field of hospitality and catering and who relocated to Malta a couple of years ago.

The decision to open the first Tuscan Bistro specifically in Malta was born of a careful assessment carried out during his stay on the island, during which he recognised the appeal Tuscany has among the Maltese.

The project immediately attracted the family and it did not take them long to decide to take on this opportunity for growth and diversification.

Family history

Salvatore Ferragamo is an Italian luxury goods company, with headquarters in Florence, specialising in shoes, leather goods and ready-to-wear for men and women, as well as eyewear and watches.
With about 2,600 employees and a network of more than 550 mono-brand stores, the Ferragamo Group runs operations in Italy and worldwide.

Salvatore Ferragamo emigrated from southern Italy to Boston and then California in 1914, opening the Hollywood Boot Shop in 1923 and made shoes for movie stars, as well as for films.

He then returned to Italy and set up a shoe shop in Florence in 1927. The rest is history.