Exclusive:Restaurants of Glasgow: Plans submitted for new Italian restaurant on Duke Street in Glasgow's East End

Plans have been submitted to turn the former Lloyds TSB bank at 424 Duke Street into new Italian restaurant, to be called Grosso. The plans were submitted earlier this month for the site. The branch closed in February 2021 and the unit has been unoccupied since then.

The plans for new signage displaying the restaurant name and interiors showing space for 35 covers, a large pizza oven and pasta prep station on the ground floor. Glasgow design house Lucid Interiors is acting as agent for the application. Their previous hospitality interiors work has included The Gleneagles Hotel, The Fingal at Leith and Seamill Hydro.

The applicant is listed as Michael Kennedy. The application includes alterations to the exterior of the building and the addition of a flue for the kitchen at the rear of the property. The plans include the addition of male and female toilets alongside a storeroom in the basement.

Two previous plans for the empty unit have been submitted to Glasgow City Council - an application to turn it into a takeaway, submitted in 2021 and plans for a restaurant, submitted in 2022. The plans have were refused by the planning committee due to the fact the restaurant would result in more than 20% of the units in the street block being used for food, drink and entertainment purposes which, it was stated, would be in breach of policy.

Other established food and drink businesses on this popular stretch of Duke Street includes Coia’s Cafe, Mesa, Zennor, Redmond’s and Tibo. In recent years the famous Glasgow street in Dennistoun has become a bustling food and drink hotspot. It is expected that a decision will be made on the application by Monday, 9 June 2025. You can read more about some of our favourite places in Dennistoun here.