It looks like the restaurant group formerly owned by entrepreneur Frankie Grima in the Portomaso yacht marina cannot find solace even now as it is rumoured that the two businessmen who had taken over now have plans on parting company, Business Today has learnt.
Two companies – P.Cutajar Co. Ltd and A.E. Holdings Ltd – on 26 February 2007 set up a new company, Marina Restaurants Limited, to take over the restaurant group formerly belonging to Grima.
Representatives of both companies were highly cautious when Business Today tried to confirm the story about the severing of the business partnership and whether one of the partners had actually bought up the other one’s 50 per cent shareholding or not.
When contacted, P.Cutajar Director Paul Zammit Cutajar said that the matter was a “highly confidential one” and referred us to the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). When asked to state the name of the CEO, he refused to do so.
On the other hand, when we tried to contact A.E. Holdings owner Alex Ellul at the office of Marina Resturants Limited on Monday evening, we were told by the company’s Financial Controller that he would contact us the following day, however by the time we went to print yesterday evening, Ellul had not returned our call.
P. Cutajar Co. Limited is a leading distributor of wines, spirits, food, and coffee, among other things.
On the other hand, Ellul, is known in the catering business. He is listed as a director and shareholder of Osborne Outside Caterers Limited and Villa Arrigo Limited apart from the involvement in his holding company, A.E Holdings Limited.
The restaurants owned by Marina Restaurants Limited include Sale e Pepe Trattoria, Caffe Portomaso, Marina Terrace Caffe e Pasticceria, and Dusk Lounge Bar, as well as Al Molo Restaurant.
