Taking its name from an Italian car, Stratos is a sophisticated bar and restaurant that is certainly causing a stir.
However, automobile puns aside the success of Stratos is not surprising really, since it is the latest venture from the family-run San Marco Group.
To date, Stratos is the fifth restaurant in the Group’s ever expanding portfolio, which already includes The Italian Orchard, Pinocchio’s, San Marco and Angelo’s – and it looks as if this is one family that shows no signs of stopping. The Bragagnini family who own the San Marco Group, have been investing in and around the City of Preston for the past 30 years, and are incredibly passionate about what they do.
Carlo Bragagnini who oversees the management of Stratos commented:
“We bought the building a few years ago and saw a gap in the market for a bar/restaurant. We wanted it to have a real ‘city’ feel and make it a place that is relaxing and fun to be in.
“Stratos opens at 10am for coffees and serves a range of Italian style nibbles and sharing plates from 12 noon until 9pm. The premises are licensed until 3am and a large selection of wines, cocktails and beers are available. At the weekends we have a mix of live music and DJs so you can soak up the lively atmosphere. We also have a stylish function room which is the perfect place for corporate meetings and private parties.”
Work began on Stratos in August 2012 and reached completion in November. Preston based company, Hamilton Construction was the main contractor on Stratos and to date the company has played a big part in the San Marco Group’s continued success.
Commenting on their involvement, Hamilton Construction Company Director, John Hamilton said:
“The refurbishment of the old Bistro French building to create Stratos has been a significant investment for the San Marco Group. The family brought in the expertise of Italian architect Umberto Spanghero from SZ Arredamenti.
“The San Marco Group had seen some of the spectacular work created by Umberto in Italy and were keen to adopt his innovative and creative style for Stratos. Hamilton Construction managed the complex building project and was acting as the Project Manager liaising between the architect and all the local and Italian contractors.”
Many elements of Stratos, such as the bar, furniture, tiling and private room upstairs have been designed and manufactured by Umberto then shipped over from Italy. The lighting is one particular aspect that Umberto has really focussed on and the Catellani & Smith lights can only be described as captivating. The complex air handling system for the whole building was installed by Aertecno Srl. The kitchen is designed using state of the art cooking equipment from renowned Italian manufacturer De Manincor.
John continued:
“We have worked with the San Marco Group for over 30 years on their new construction and refurbishment projects, either as the main contractor or project manager. We became involved with their first restaurant, Pinocchio’s, in 1982 after we were recommended to the Group. Following on from Pinocchio’s we worked on the Italian Orchard; then Angelo’s; the Group’s flagship site, San Marco; and finally Stratos. The San Marco Group holds our work in high regard and they are a great client to work with. We have given them a lot of input over the years on their projects and we will continue to do this on future projects.”
The San Marco Group’s five restaurants provide guests with exquisite Italian food and wine within a relaxed and stylish environment. Each restaurant has a menu bursting with delicious dishes and where possible the Group sources ingredients directly from Italy.
Carlo concluded:
“We’re delighted with how popular Stratos is proving. It is a very valuable addition to the San Marco Group and creates a new dimension to our offering.”
For more information on the San Marco Group, including all of its restaurants, please visit: www.sanmarcogroup.co.uk. To find out more about Stratos or to make a booking, please visit: www.stratosbar.com.
