Award-winning entrepreneur chooses Merthyr Tydfil as next location for popular Italian chain

Andreas Christou is a 27-year-old award-winning restaurateur with two Italian restaurants in Wales — and later this summer, he will open his latest branch in Merthyr Tydfil.

Casa Bianca, which boasts sister restaurants in Abergavenny and Monmouth, is expected to open on the corner of Glebeland Street and High Street Merthyr Tydfil by late summer 2022 — providing a new lease of life for one of the town’s empty historical buildings.

The new venture has been made possible by an investment from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Placemaking scheme, delivered in conjunction with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.

Proud winners of two Blue Ribbons at the 2022 Good Food Awards, Casa Bianca is a family-run restaurant chain — which will bring a taste of southern Italian cooking and flavours to the heart of Merthyr Tydfil.

Aside from its outstanding food quality, service and value at existing restaurants, Casa Bianca is also well known for the huge ‘Instagrammable’ letters which mark its entrance on Frogmore Street in Abergavenny.

With construction work now in progress, the Merthyr Tydfil restaurant is expected to be equally as visually impactful, complete with olive trees growing from the ceiling — providing a dramatic canopy for customers to dine beneath.

Restaurant owner, Andreas Christou said: “We have had great success with La Piccola in Monmouth and Casa Bianca in Abergavenny — and we hope to achieve the same in Merthyr Tydfil, ahead of further expansion across Wales.

“Since opening in 2018, Casa Bianca in Abergavenny has developed a particularly loyal, tight-knit customer base — many of whom regularly travel to dine with us from Merthyr Tydfil.

“In recognition of this, it has been my ambition to open a Merthyr Tydfil branch for some time — and I can’t thank the council enough for helping to make it happen. Merthyr Tydfil town centre is developing at an incredible pace and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.

“I have a great appreciation for the Merthyr community’s constant support and look forward to bringing our business closer to them.”

Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Cllr Geraint Thomas, said: “It’s great to see another fan-favourite restaurant open in the town centre, and I have no doubt that Casa Bianca will be just as popular here as it is in Abergavenny.

“Andreas Christou is the latest business owner to benefit from Council funding, with his personal ambition — alongside the many other local entrepreneurs we’ve helped — feeding directly into our long-term masterplan for the town.

“Supporting entrepreneurs in this way is a majorly important step in helping us to further grow a culture of great independent businesses and unique food and drink offerings in Merthyr Tydfil — all while bringing a newfound purpose to empty buildings in the town centre.”