Franco’s Restaurant always provides a feast for the senses.

Stepping through the doors of the family-owned restaurant, you are instantly transported from Enniskillen’s busy Queen Elizabeth Road to what feels like an Italian taverna with its rustic charm, warm low lighting and cosy nooks.

This time of year, the eatery’s charming interior gets an extra dusting of magic with the addition of its much-loved Christmas decor.

Although renowned for its inviting atmosphere, it’s the high-quality food, consistently cooked to perfection that has made the restaurant a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike, many of whom have been dining there since it was first opened by Frank and Betty Sweeney in 1986.

“We would have third, hitting nearly fourth-generation customers now,” said Emmett Sweeney, son of Betty and the late Frank, who runs the family business with his brothers Ruairi and Gavin.

“I have watched kids coming in here years ago who now have kids. It means a lot,” he added, noting his gratefulness for the continued support from the restaurant’s faithful customers.

“People come for pizza and pasta, people want to come for steak, other people come for the seafood. Everybody has their favourite.”

Ever since its inception, quality produce has always been at the forefront of the restaurant.

“Our biggest key is consistency within our suppliers, and a big part of it is local produce. Not just Fermanagh but the wider area.

“Much of our fish and shellfish comes from the west of Ireland and the remainder from Kilkeel and Portavogie etc in Northern Ireland.

“Our beef is Hannan Meats in Moira and we get all local lamb,” said Emmett.

“We were probably one of the first [restaurants] to innovate the whole fresh seafood, local beef, local lamb, local poultry.

“That was my father’s vision,” he added, explaining how his father Frank ran an architectural and design firm but had a great passion for cooking: “His dream was always to open a restaurant.”

However, the inspiration to start a pizzeria came to Frank by chance during an architectural job he was working on in London.

“He was designing a night club in London which happened to be an old pizzeria,” said Emmett, adding: “The guy had an original Italian pizza oven which he was disposing of. My father says, ‘you’re not throwing that out’.

“Subsequently he rang my brother, got a team of men, got a van, drove from Enniskillen to London, collected the pizza oven and that’s how it became a pizzeria.”

Originally the family home, Frank used his eye for design to transform the residence into a restaurant.

“He sourced this timber throughout Ireland,” said Emmett, referring to the panelling that lines the walls.

Nodding towards the floor, he added: “The tiles here are original 19th century from Florencecourt tilery.

“The pitch pine benches in the restaurant actually came out of the old courthouse in Enniskillen. They also came from a Methodist church in Wales. The large pine table came from Lisgoole Abbey. He also did quite a bit of architectural salvage. He designed and fitted it.”

As the years went on, with the restaurant growing in popularity, the decision was made to expand.

“In 1989/1990 we purchased the building next door and we broke through into that.

“This was our original family home so the room which is now the new green room, that was originally our living room, so we extended out into there,” explained Emmett.

“[My father] designed everything, then as the years went on after he passed away, we would have redesigned, probably starting to modernise a bit more,” he added.

Although there had been quite a contrast between the design of the more modern green room and the rustic original part of the restaurant, Emmett said that they recently decided to make them more similar, giving the space a complete makeover last year.

“We went sort of contemporary a few years back, which was more modern. Some people didn’t like it but I think our new green room now, everybody will like. We put a lot of thought into it, it’s a bit more homely.

“It’s very good for private functions because you have your own private bar,” he said of the green room space.

Although he believes some elements of modernisation are good, he commented that it’s “very important” to keep the original pizzeria/restaurant style that Franco’s is known for.

“We’re still at heart a pizzeria, but as I say, we moved on and modernised over the years,” said Emmett.

Throughout the restaurant, the walls are adorned with art.

“The art is something my parents and ourselves have collected over the years, a lot of local artists from many years ago.

“A lot of the art here was purchased in The Buttermarket,” said Emmett, adding: “We also still have the original mural by a very good friend of my father’s called Des Kinney.”

He explained that after a fire at the restaurant, the mural was left very badly damaged.

“We were very lucky to get it up to Seaforde in Co. Down and Des’ son, Nick Kinney, restored the whole thing.

“It was very difficult after the fire to get it back to what it was. It took a lot of hard work and restoration and we managed to substantially save much of the older furniture, bar and surrounding area,” he said.

The recently redecorated green room with its more minimalist style also has the air of an art gallery, with numerous works of Northern Irish artist Alan Quigley displayed.

“A lot of his more contemporary work is [in the green room] but we still have a lot of his originals too,” noted Emmett.

Looking to the future of the restaurant, Emmett commented that there are “no signs of lying down yet”. However, he noted that recruiting staff is getting more difficult.

He said: “Speaking to my colleagues in the industry, it’s getting harder and harder. It eased for a wee while, now it’s just getting more difficult.

“There’s also increased energy and food costs to be considered.”

From the off, and still to this day, family is at the heart of the business.

“Everybody has their role. My mother, even though she’s 81 years of age, she still keeps an eye on things. We all have a role and it seems to work.

“Other members of the family contributed greatly to the initial setting up of the restaurant including my sisters Moira and Michelle,” said Emmett, adding: “But we couldn’t do it without our dedicated team of staff, for whom we are very grateful.”