THE team behind one of Southampton’s most successful restaurants is planning to launch a chain of Italian eateries across the south of England.

Eight years after launching Oxfords in Oxford Street, Simon Foder-ingham and Jimmy Hajiantoni hope that a new venture across the road called Scoozi will be just the first step on the expansion trail.

Opened in December in place of the former Radleys restaurant following a £100,000 refurbishment, Scoozi was inspired by a restaurant in Chicago.

The well-known entrepreneurs have teamed up with former Prezzo’s manager Alfredo Ndoci as a third partner and, despite the recession, are on course to open a further one or two Scoozi branded restaurants by the end of the year.

Simon said: “We have spent the best part of £100,000 on the refurb to turn it into a neighbourhood Italian restaurant.

“We’ve got a wood-fired oven and fresh pasta. The main difference with other Italian restaurants is that we have kept the American/Italian feel and it is very much a cosy neighbourhood feel.

“The whole idea is to create a chain – maybe that’s a glorified word, but we certainly want to open more of them.

“Initially it is across the south. The nice thing is that because we are not looking for massive sites, we could open in somewhere like Romsey, for instance.

“As you’ll appreciate it is difficult times in our industry, like many others, but as it stands we would like to open another one this year for sure, and maybe two.

“We have got funds available to us, we haven’t relied on a bank and we have been prudent.”