Graffiti Spirits, the independent bar and restaurant group owned by Matt Farrell and John Ennis, has announced that UFC star and local legend, Darren Till has bought a 25% share in his favourite Liverpool restaurant, Santa Maluco. Along with MMA fighter Mark Scanlon, they will make up 50% of the business.
Till has been a regular visitor to Santa Maluco’s for the last year and it’s not just because of the unbeatable pizza, there’s also a sense of nostalgia for both him and Scanlon in the restaurant too, as the pair used to visit another Rodizio-style (all you can eat) pizza place every week whilst they trained to fight in Brazil.
On joining the Graffiti Spirits Group team, Darren Till commented, “I’ve known the guys from Graffiti Spirits Group for a while now and have been really impressed by their impact on the Liverpool food and drink scene. John and Matt have been a great support to me over the years, so it’s really great to be able to partner up with them with Santa Maluco. It’s been a favourite for me and my friends since it opened, so it feels good to finally be a part of it properly.”
Like John and Matt, Darren is Liverpool born-and-bread and takes enormous pride in his city. He recently headlined UFC Fight Night 130, in front of his home crowd, when the city hosted its first UFC event. This saw Till continue his climb up the welterweight rankings to number two, after recording a fourth straight UFC victory against Stephen Thompson, much to the delight of an elated Echo Arena. The Liverpudlian is now preparing for his next fight at UFC 228 in Dallas, Texas, where he will challenge Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title.
At Santa Maluco, all pizzas are cooked in a traditional, wood fired, handmade oven, bringing the most authentic pizza experience possible to the plate. All pizzas are 18 inch and are made completely from scratch by a team of experienced and talented pizziolas. Favourites include: ‘What the Duck’, featuring shredded duck, spring onions, cucumber, char siu, ’Mac & Cheese’ featuring Mac & Cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, pancetta
And ‘Return of the Mac’- a pizza take on the classic ‘Big Mac’ burger. Wanting to keep the menu fresh and seasonal, elements change on a weekly basis, with an exciting range of daily specials also available.