The owner of one of Glasgow’s best-known cafes has been immortalised in a portrait by an artist who previously painted King Charles III.
Gino Verrecchia, whose family has run the University Cafe on Byres Road for more than a century, is one of four independent business owners chosen for a new exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery.
The portrait was created by Glasgow-based artist Gareth Reid, who painted Charles in 2019 when he was Prince of Wales and has also painted figures including Dame Judi Dench and Graham Norton.
Reid painted Verrecchia inside the University Cafe, incorporating the famous West End institution into the portrait.
The cafe was opened by Verrecchia’s grandfather Pasquale in 1918 and is now run by Gino alongside his sons Americo and Paulo.
Verrecchia said: “The University Café has seen a lot over the years, from celebrity visits to starring on the big screen, but being named Local Royalty by Coca-Cola is a first.
“It was a wonderful surprise to find out I’d been selected, and it’s been a fantastic experience. Seeing Gareth’s portrait come to life has been fascinating and made the experience even more special. We’re proud to be a fifth-generation family business, but it really is the people of Glasgow who have kept the cafe at the heart of the community for more than a century.”
Reid said he wanted to portray the cafe owner somewhere he felt comfortable and make the surroundings an important part of the finished work.
He described the University Cafe as a “Glasgow institution” known and loved by generations of customers.
The cafe has attracted famous visitors over the years.
Chef and broadcaster Anthony Bourdain visited while filming in Glasgow in 2015, ordering a formidable combination of battered fish, deep-fried haggis, chips, cheese and curry sauce with an Irn-Bru.
The order later became known as the Bourdain Special.
Verrecchia’s portrait forms part of Local Royalty, a Coca-Cola Great Britain project celebrating the contribution independent businesses make to their communities.
Four business owners have been paired with portrait artists who have previously received commissions to paint members of the Royal Family.
Alongside Verrecchia are a fish and chip shop owner from Barnsley, a pub landlord from Devon and a convenience store owner from south London. Their artists have previously painted Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The finished works will go on public display at the Saatchi Gallery from Wednesday 28 October until Sunday 1 November.
The exhibition is free and will also feature behind-the-scenes material showing the artists and business owners during the sittings.
Each of the four business owners will eventually receive their portrait, while a donation will also be made to a local charity of their choice.