Italian mothers are a force to be reckoned with. Adelaide has its own matriarch to thank for introducing the magic of pizza and commercial homemade Italian cooking to the state.
Immigrating in 1956 to Adelaide from a village called Pago Veiano, less than 100km north of Naples, Lucia Rosella established Lucia’s Pizza & Spaghetti Bar the following year. The family business has been a staple at the Adelaide Central Market for 66 years and is known for serving the city’s best pizza Margherita.
But it’s not only the magnificent spaghetti Bolognese or the beef ravioli and the timeless retro décor that make Lucia’s a staple. There is a warm and welcoming vibe at the restaurant that perfectly matches with the hustle and bustle of the market. It’s like visiting Nonna’s home and catching up with the famiglia.
One can quickly notice that in the back as well as the front of house, are primarily women of different ages and backgrounds. Everyone works under Lucia’s watchful eye, whose black and white portrait hangs on the wall. Her look conveys love and empathy; but also, resilience and courage.
This look reminds me of the many Greek migrants I have met and interviewed over the years. Each story is unique and dynamic but similar in so many ways.
I ask a waitress for the owner, and soon, co-owner Nicci Bugeja emerges from the kitchen. With a friendly smile welcomes us to Lucia’s.
“My mother, Lucia Rosella, started this business in 1957, and my sister, Maria, and I, have continued it. We’ve been working here all our lives. We left for a bit because our mum made us go and get another job, but we both returned to the market; we love it here,” said Nicci explaining that her daughter has also joined the family business.
When asked what she loves about the job, she said “it is like coming home to me. It’s not like a job because I’ve been here since I was seven. It becomes part of you. It’s part of my life.”
“The market is such a great place to work. It’ s such a diverse place with many people from all walks of life, and I love it.”
Talking about the challenges she has faced as a female business owner, Nicci said that her mother was the one who faced the biggest challenges in the 60s.
“I remember when my dad was alive, he worked here too, and although people knew that my mother was running it [the restaurant] people tended to ask my dad questions,” she said.
“When we got our first coffee machines, the supplier wouldn’t talk to my mother but wanted to talk to my dad, although my mother made the coffee.”
It’s nearly midday, and there is a vibrant buzz in the background. With the corner of my eye, I see a couple of staff grating lemons while chatting vibrantly. Others take orders and serve customers. Family and community are the spirit of Italy, and I can feel it at Lucia’s.
“The customer always comes first. We are here to serve, and that is what hospitality to me is,” said Nicci when asked about a piece of wisdom she inherited from her mother and did not omit to offer her advice to people, who like her parents, have decided and continue to call Australia home.
“Embrace the Australian culture -my mother did that very well. She not only had Italian food, but she also had Australian food. Things that we never had in Italy”.
*You can find Lucia’s Pizza & Spaghetti Bar in the Central Market on 44-60 Gouger Street, Adelaide. The business includes Lucia’s Fine Foods that offers specialty products and own brand tomato-based pasta sauces.
The Roving Storyteller 
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