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The ovens are firing, pizzas are coming out fresh, and Glandore’s newest neighbourhood pizzeria is officially open for business.
La Piccola Pizzeria opened on Tuesday, October 20, with husband-and-wife team Mauro and Georgia firing up their wood-fired oven and serving close to 170 pizzas on their very first night.
After months of planning and preparation, the couple, who previously owned Napoli Woodfired Pizzeria, were thrilled by the turnout.
“Obviously there are some nerves there … we weren’t quite sure how we were going to go opening up a brand new store,” Georgia said.
“But the support was actually unreal … honestly, we’re all smiles at the moment.”
The opening marks an exciting return for the couple, who stepped away from their former pizzeria in 2023 to focus on family life. Now, with La Piccola Pizzeria up and running on Cross Road, they’re bringing their love of traditional Italian pizza back to the neighbourhood.
And it seems customers have already picked their favourites.
The Supreme has proven particularly popular, topped with tomato sauce, cheese, olives, salami, onion and capsicum, while the BBQ Chicken has also been a big hit. At the heart of the menu is Mauro’s signature hand-stretched dough, which undergoes a 48-hour proving process before being cooked in the wood-fired oven.
While opening a new business naturally comes with a few surprises, Georgia says everything has gone remarkably close to plan. The only adjustment so far has been finding room to meet the enthusiastic response.
“It’s buzzing. People are coming in excited to try, bringing the kids along and making a thing out of it.”
“But it’s also really laid back and chill. You’re able to sit in there, have your pizza and hang out.”
The building itself adds plenty of character to the experience. The historic building houses the Art Deco-inspired space and features large windows, plenty of natural light and an airy, open feel.
Rather than overcrowding the interior, the couple have embraced the building’s existing charm, keeping the decor minimal and dotting plants around to add some life and greenery. Creating a simple place where the food and company take centre stage.
While La Piccola is already proving popular for its pizzas, Georgia and Mauro have a bigger vision for what they hope the little neighbourhood spot will become.
“We want it to be a place where the community feel comfortable, they can just come out and have a pizza. Or they can send their 12 year old kid to pick up the order, we want it to be a safe space.”
Coming from Italian and Greek backgrounds, Mauro and Georgia have grown up understanding the important role food plays in bringing family, friends and communities together.
It’s that same feeling they hope to recreate at La Piccola, where a simple pizza dinner can become an opportunity to reconnect and enjoy the company of those around you.
As Georgia put it, “you drop the rest of the day and the stresses you’re carrying and immerse yourself in the food and the people you’re with.”
With an opening night that exceeded expectations, a growing community of customers and plenty of pizzas already making their way out of the oven, La Piccola Pizzeria is off to a firery start.
LA PICCOLA PIZZERIA
Where: 508 Cross Road, Glandore
When: Open now
For more, visit their website.
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