Cork restaurant set to close after half a century in business

The end of a culinary era is looming for the town of Midleton, as its landmark Main Street Italian restaurant La Trattoria is to close its doors for the final time on September 1, after 50 years of trading.

Owners Pasquale and Lynda Corigliano, who have weathered economic downturns, family illnesses, Covid and, most recently, the devastating flooding of Midleton, have taken the decision to retire.

“It is still emotional talking about retiring,” Lynda tells me, as people by our table in the restaurant and wish her and the family well on hearing the news.

“We’ll miss you,” they say.

“Midleton won’t be the same without you,” says another regular customer.

“Our mother used to bring us in here for pizza and chips as kids,” says one of two sisters stunned at the news.

This is a typical Italian business. Pasquale’s parents came from Mazara del vallo in Sicily, and opened La Trattoria in 1974.

Pasquale and his late brother Greag took over the business in 1981 when their father retired.

“Pasquale’s mother was a fabulous cook,” says Lynda, who is from Whitegate. 

She taught him how to prepare and cook authentic Italian food; lasagna, pasta, pizza, spaghetti bolognese, that was served here as well as traditional Irish dishes.

Lynda is glad that she and Pasquale finally made the decision to retire, after so many years of business ups and downs.

“And we’re still together!” she laughs.

The time has come to enjoy the best years of their lives. 

“We just feel that it is our time now,” explains Lynda.

“We have given the business our all. Looking after family and running our business was always our life. We could never switch off at any time in 24 hours.

"An alarm might go off during the night in the restaurant, supplies might run low at a busy period, staff might fall sick without warning. We had to be there. We were committed to being open to the public day and night.

Pasquale never let up working. He began work every day at 6.30am preparing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We never had an Easter off. We never had a St Stephen’s Day off, we never had a Mother’s Day off, nor a Father’s Day. We’ve never had lie-ins. Pasquale gave it his all and so did I for 20 years.

They have no regrets.

“La Trattoria, a family restaurant, was for us a lifestyle and it gave us a good life,” says Lynda. “It gave us our wonderful, loyal customers who are our friends. The community here in Midleton are our friends.”

The Coriglianos have a long tradition in Cork. Pasquale went to school in North Pres, and his parents ran one of the first Italian restaurants opened in the city - Lo Zio Pino at 6, Washington Street.

“In 1974, they sold the restaurant in Cork and opened here in Midleton. They loved Midleton,” says Lynda.

La Trattoria translates as ‘eating house’, and the Coriglianos ran a very successful one.

“Pasquale was 19 when he took over the restaurant,” says Lynda. His mother retired in 1999. He had a hard work ethic inherited from his parents.

“And his lasagna is to die for!” adds Lynda, laughing. 

“When he cooks for us at home it is one of my favourite dishes.”

Where did Lynda meet this fabulous Italian chef?

“We met in Gigi’s night club in 1986 - he was a good-looking Italian! We got married in 1990.”

Four bambinos arrived in due course.

“I reared the kids, Giana, Adelina, Georgio, and Maria in Whitegate,” says Lynda. 

Then I helped out in the business, managing front-of house as they got older. They all helped out here over the years. It was great training for them.

The hard grafting eventually took its toll.

“When Pasquale had a serious back operation six years ago, it sowed the seeds to think about retirement,” says Lynda. “At 58, he got thinking, I won’t be around forever. He wanted to retire at 60.”

The Coriglianos had served their time.

“It was our time now,” says Lynda. “We’d done our time.”

They’ll have time now to go on holidays and spend time together.

“We won’t have to answer phone calls about someone out sick from work. We won’t have to worry about VAT increasing or other issues that arise running a business.”

What are the stand-out moments from her years in the restaurant?

“The stand-outs are the friends we’ve made with our regular customers,” says Lynda. 

The stand-outs are people telling us they came in here to eat Sunday lunch with their grandparents. Now they are grandparents themselves and are bringing their own grandchildren here to eat. That is so wonderful.

“Our old staff say it is the best place they ever worked.”

The community of Midleton stands out too.

“When we got flooded and lost our kitchen equipment, our restaurant furniture, our livelihood, the community of Midleton stepped up and helped us out as much as they could,” says Lynda. “The flood came so fast, we were totally unprepared.”

She recalls that fateful day last October when Storm Babet wreaked havoc in the town.

“People were inside having lunch, finishing up. Next minute it came in the back door, and it came in like a river. We had to get everyone out as fast as we could, chaos then. 

The whole place was destroyed. It looked like an eggshell.

Neighbours, friends, customers and locals rowed in to help the family they knew so well.

“The businesses all got together to help each other out,” says Lynda.

The community spirit in Midleton is great.

“We always sponsored local schools and sports’ teams,” says Lynda.

The community rallied round too when Adelina had to go to Crumlin Children’s Hospital for treatment for a rare cancer of the blood when she was younger, which was successful.

“Adelina is an architect now!” says Lynda.

How will Lynda and Pasquale rebuild their lives from the only life they knew?

“We’ll definitely go back to Italy on holidays,” says Lynda. “Pasquale can enjoy ing Munster rugby and walking.”

The kids can do the cooking.

“They are all fabulous cooks,” says Lynda.

What will she do?

“I’ll do more sea-swimming!” she says.

Not in Guileen, East Cork though?

Lynda laughs. 

“In southern Italy. Mazara Del Vallo to be precise.

“Our life here was always rewarding,” adds Lynda.

“Even though there were tough times and sacrifices made, we wouldn’t change a thing.”