Popular Doncaster pizza restaurant issues update on opening of second local eatery

The Rustic Pizza Co, which already has an eatery at Lakeside, is expanding to open a new outlet in Rotherham.

The second restaurant will be part of the new Forge Island complex in the town centre.

A spokesman for Rustic said: “We attended a site visit at Rotherham Forge Island this week and to say we are excited would be an understatement.

“We will be starting our fit out in the next couple of weeks and we can’t wait to bring Rustic to Rotherham.”

The new restaurant was first announced in January last year.

The Rustic Pizza Co was founded in 2017 by Doncaster-based husband and wife team Lee and Sian Ogley who originally ran a mobile street food business.

The duo transformed a passion for pizza into a successful business venture, delivering their freshly made, wood-fired pizzas across their home city as well as serving up a slice of Italy at events and festivals all over the country.

The company opened its first permanent outlet at the popular food court in Doncaster’s Wool Market in 2019 before having to diversify due to the pandemic and resulting lockdown in March 2020, delivering up to 500 DIY pizza kits a day across Doncaster.

The business has grown from strength-to-strength since re-opening to the public in June 2020, with both its in-dining and takeaway service proving hugely popular with customers.

The duo source only the finest Italian products, using their network of suppliers who provide seasonal products and regional specialties from Italian markets.

Last year, the Doncaster Wool Market closed with a restaurant opening at Lakeside.

The Forge Island restaurant will offer 70 to 80 covers and future plans to include takeaways.

In the annoucement last year, Mr Ogley said: “Having grown our business across Doncaster over the last five years, we have been looking to venture into a new town or city for a while and Forge Island ticked all the boxes in terms of being a leisure destination with a focus on attracting local, independent businesses.

The new Forge Island is due for completion in 2024 and will be set within an attractive public square with a new pedestrian bridge connecting to the town centre.