PDC Darts star Luke Littler visits Blackpool's beloved Notrianni's before Winter Gardens World Matchplay win
“It’s great to see him using local businesses, and it was great seeing him again. Luke’s a really nice guy.”
Darts superstar Luke Littler made a surprise visit to Notarianni’s earlier this week, wowing fans and customers alike as he enjoyed a sweet treat with his partner Faith.
The reigning World Champion is in Blackpool again for the World Matchplay Championship, a 12-day-event hosted at the Winter Gardens.
Speaking to the Gazette about Littler’s surprise visit, Notarianni’s owner Luca Vettese said: “Luke came on Monday and ordered a Cream Egg Milkshake, and his missus Faith had a Sundae.
“He’s visited us a couple of times now, whenever he’s in Blackpool he always comes. It’s an amazing thing to have the darts at the Winter Gardens here in Blackpool, and it’s great when the darts stars come in.
“It’s great to see him using local businesses, and it was great seeing him again. Luke’s a really nice guy. He’s won his first two games on Monday as well as yesterday and hit a 9 darter last night, so we might start calling it the Notarianni’s 9 darter. Hopefully, fingers crossed he comes in again- maybe we are a good luck charm for him.”
Notarianni’s has operated in Blackpool for the last 98 years after first opening on the Central Promenade in 1928.
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Vettese, great-grandson of the company’s founder Luigi Notarianni, has been in charge of the business since 2017. In 2022 he won the prestigious national Guido Morelli Rising Star Award, awarded by the Ice Cream Alliance.
Away from ice cream, Littler broke yet another record last night (Tuesday 21 July) by hitting a 9-dart-finish in the game’s opening leg, becoming the first player in history to hit a 9 darter in back-to-back years on the Blackpool stage.
The 19-year-old beat Nathan Aspinall 11-8 to advance into the Quarter Finals, where he will face Josh Rock on Thursday 23 July.