Patrick Falla is taking on the premises that housed the popular Italian restaurant for 46 years. He has plans to give the historic building a new lease of life while respecting its past.
Da Nello closed its doors just before last Christmas, when long-serving head chef and co-owner Tim Vidamour stepped away from the business and fellow co-owner Manuel Teixeira retired.
Now Mr Falla, who has spent more than 20 years working in hospitality, is preparing to open a new restaurant called Jackdaw. He is acutely aware of the shoes he has to fill.
‘The enormity of what it is and what it represents is definitely not lost on me,’ he said.
‘Da Nello has been very much part of the fabric of Guernsey hospitality for close to half a century, and we’re not taking that lightly. We’re not looking to erase it. We’re looking to build the next chapter.’
Born and raised in Guernsey, Mr Falla remembers visiting Da Nello with his family as a child. After leaving the island for university, he spent 12 years in London, and ran his own steak restaurant in Fulham for a couple of years before Covid.
He returned to Guernsey about seven years ago, and has since managed Hotel Ziggurat and, more recently, Nineteen Bar & Grill.
‘I’ve been biding my time for the right opportunity to come along,’ he said.
‘This was one of our go-to favourite restaurants. It’s a great location with an amazing history and great bones in the structure of what it is. It just needs a little bit of a refresh.’
Much of the original character of the building will remain, including some of Da Nello’s familiar seating, which is being resized and reupholstered to fit into the granite nooks of the restaurant.
But Mr Falla is clear that the new venture will have its own identity, rather than attempting to recreate its predecessor.
‘People will always hope we’re not going to change anything, but things need to move on,’ he said.
‘Nello himself will say the same. We’re going to create something new, but pay homage to what’s been there before us.’
A lot of time went into choosing the name. Jackdaw was inspired by the local birds that nest in the granite walls of Le Pollet. The birds gather at dusk and return to the same nest time after time – a loyalty the team hopes its guests will share.
‘The aspiration is to be a proper go-to neighbourhood joint,’ said Mr Falla.
‘Spoiler: we’re not going to be Italian. We’re going to have a modern take on British classics, using local and wild produce. But we’re not tied to any particular style of cuisine.
‘We just want to provide great seasonal food, crafted drinks and to put smiles on people’s faces.
‘I’m bringing inspiration from my favourite London experiences, and our head chef has Southern European influence that will come through.’
Paul Owen Hunter, the former head chef of Auberge du Val, is joining the venture, and will begin developing the menu further in January. It is hoped that the construction work will be finished by the end of the year, with Jackdaw ready to open its doors next Easter.
Having initially hoped to open before Christmas, Mr Falla is now relieved that the timetable has slipped – not least because he and his wife are expecting their second child in the coming weeks.
With a four-year-old already at home, he is preparing to balance the demands of a new restaurant with family life.
‘I’ve got faith in the future of Guernsey’s hospitality industry,’ he said.
‘Obviously it gives me sleepless nights as well. But the island, and the Pollet, has a lot of great offerings. We’re excited to add something to the table.’
With recruitment under way, Mr Falla acknowledged that finding and retaining hospitality staff remains one of his biggest challenges, with accommodation and employment permit issues.
Rising living costs were also a concern, but ultimately he believes islanders will continue to support new hospitality ventures.
‘We’re so locally focused. Our primary market is the people that live here,’ he said.
‘We want to make it accessible and somewhat affordable.
‘We want people to come to us for their special birthday, their engagement dinner – but also feel like they can come on a Tuesday night or a Wednesday lunch without feeling overwhelmed by the cost.’