‘I’m embarrassed’: Founder of Italian restaurant Criniti’s opens up about the Parramatta relaunch

She co-founded Criniti’s with her then-husband, lost control of it in their divorce, and watched it go into administration in 2019. Now Rima Criniti opens up about its reopening.

The co-founder of pizza-pasta chain restaurant Criniti’s has broken her silence on the reopening of the Parramatta restaurant after a string of bad reviews and press.

Rima Criniti co-founded the restaurant and subsequent franchises with her then-husband Frank Criniti in 2003.

When the two divorced in 2015, she lost control of any say in the business.

In 2019, seven of the Criniti’s 13 stores shut abruptly when the company went into administration with debts of more than $16.5 million.

Last month, under the new ownership of Raj Patel and his Brunelli Group, who had bought the franchise for $1m in 2020, Criniti’s Parramatta reopened to fanfare.

Co-founder of Criniti's, Rima Criniti. Picture: Supplied.

However negative reviews about poor service threatened to mar the reopening.

One reviewer said, “the customer service was appalling. We got very smart attitude and no care whatsoever.”

Criniti's Italian restaurant at 328 Church St, Parramatta.

Another described the customer service as “pathetic”, saying: “We stepped out of this restaurant and moved to another one. I won’t recommend it to anyone!!!”

In response to the reviews, the restaurant said, “As with any business, a policy in place is always followed in regards to any negative, low-star reviews. This process is always thoroughly implemented.”

Asked about the negative reviews, Criniti said, “I’m embarrassed.”

“It hurt so much to see the business close, but when somebody stepped in to give it life, I was like ‘Wow’ I’d lost it, yes, but I wanted someone to make me proud of what Frank and I had created.”

Rima Criniti has no involvement now with the business she founded in 2003.

Criniti added that because her surname is still on the door, people assume she’s still involved. “I’m not connected to it at all,” she said.

At 23, Criniti quit her job in accounting to open Criniti’s with Frank, who she’d been dating since high school.

“He wanted to open a restaurant and I said, “I’ll come help you. I’ll quit my job to help you set it up,” Criniti, who studied a Bachelor of Commerce at Sydney University said. “He always wanted to do an Italian restaurant, even though he was working as a pebblecreter. He just had that in his head.”

“I helped with the business side of things but also on the floor as the waitress and cashier every day. That’s how it started.”

The business quickly took off with lines out the door and they expanded to a site in Darling Harbour. To keep up with demand for their metre long pizzas and communal cocktails, family members were employed by the founders. “We made a successful income so that I could go and have kids. And that was my success. Whatever happened after that was like, stop this, it’s too much,” Criniti said.

With the divorce and downfall of the business, Criniti said she lost everything.

Criniti said she’s on amicable terms with her ex-husband and father of her three children, who runs restaurant Frankie B’s opposite the Criniti’s Parramatta store.

“We lost everything,” said Criniti, who adds she’s now in a happy place. “I’m building a business and starting up again, but I’m doing it slowly and organically.”

Rima Criniti with cook Hayden Quinn at the launch of Criniti’s Manly in 2013.

Meanwhile, someone using the name Raj Patel has posted glowing comments on Criniti’s Parramatta Google review pages. The reviewer gives the restaurant five stars saying, “We had breakfast here. Simply amazing. ”

On the reviews, Criniti’s Head of People, Culture and Training Kathy Criniti said, “I would imagine, if a review was ever placed by an owner of any business, it would simply be from a perspective of pride and care.”

As to the direction of the business, she added, “What’s happening with the brand is exciting. We’re moving forward and rebirthing the history and constantly evolving the brand into the future … The response from the new Criniti’s Parramatta location has been overwhelming and extremely positive. The last month has been everything we anticipated, and more.”