I've opened a sister site to my popular Sunderland restaurant in Washington

Bianco opened on the corner of Green Terrace in Sunderland city centre in December 2023 and has gone on to build a following thanks to its classic Italian dishes at family-friendly prices.

Now, owner Edison Demiraj has opened a sister site in Washington.

He’s transformed the former Roma Italian restaurant in Front Street, Concord, into Bianco which has just had its first month in business.

“We opened two weeks before Christmas and we thought it might take a while to pick up, but we had loads of bookings,” said Edison. “Word of mouth travels fast here.

“I think people like that it’s a full sit-down experience and not another takeaway.”

Speaking about expanding the brand, which is named after a white lily, the national flower of Italy, Edison said: “After seeing how well the first Bianco was doing, I wanted to open another one in Sunderland but no suitable unit became available.

“Then I saw this unit and saw it had loads of potential. There’s also not another Italian restaurant in the immediate area, so I felt we could fill that gap.

“The unit had been empty for a while, but we’ve completely changed the look down to the lighting and a new kitchen.”

The new Bianco has created five new jobs for the area, and Edison says he would like to open a third branch in the future.

“The chef we have here has thirty years of experience and has worked in Italy. Everything is made fresh and people seem to really like the menu,” said Edison.

“People have been really supportive, as have the local businesses - especially Clare’s Florist over the road.”

*Bianco, Front Street, Washington, is open seven days a week from 12pm to 9pm.