Opening a pizzeria has been a longtime dream for couple Francesco and Jelena Buonomo, who first met and fell in love at a pizza place where Francesco used to work. Now, the pair has been blessed with the chance to realise their dream by revamping an old pizza joint on Asquith Street in Morningside into The Pizza Garden.
The Buonomos are actually based in Gold Coast but they picked the old DC Pizza Co. site in Morningside to open their very first pizza joint. The pair decided to take the place after learning that the store owners, Christine and Drewe, will relocate to Adelaide.
“Our family are embarking on a new chapter and are relocating to Adelaide for a work opportunity for Drewe (the D of DC!). It’s an exciting sea change for us, but with 2 young kids to wrangle as well, running DC from a distance was just not going to be practical for us so we’ve made the difficult decision to sell,” Christine and Drewe said on Facebook in October.
“It’s not all bad news, we have found the perfect young family to continue the 32 Asquith street, pizza shop legacy and we will introduce you soon! Having been a pizza chef for many years, they are excited to put their final touches before reopening in the very near future – stay tuned for more details.”
With a few refurbishments and some changes, The Pizza Garden was ready to trade by 9 Dec 2020.
According to Jelena, the size of the store was exactly what they had in mind and they felt that Morningside has a really great suburban vibe whilst still close to the CBD.
The couple envisions The Pizza Garden to become a family dining spot, where outdoor dining and takeaway options are also available.
Francesco, who has been in the hospitality business for 15 years, takes inspiration from his parents and grandparents, who have their own restaurants in Italy. His wife said he is passionate about offering authentic Italian food to customers.
The Buonomos used to live in Brisbane and have plans to move back with their son, Sebastian, to completely focus on their new pizzeria.
For the store’s menu and opening hours, visit the official site or their Facebook page.
“This place just recently open. It’s incredible. Authentic Italian pizza. The service was excellent and very fast! We had Luigi and Bambino and both were soooo delicious!! Will be definitely my number one pizza destination. Thank you guys!”
Yulia Adrych, Google Reviews
“Amazing pizzas and antipasto platters! The atmosphere is very nice and relaxing. Very child friendly with a high chair, plastic cups and a lot of space for prams. Highly recommend for a relaxing and yummy dinner with friends or family”
Sonja Grubisa, Facebook
“Great authentic Italian food and the quality is outstanding. Gnocchi, pizzas and the Conchiglioni pasta is a must to eat. Another thing that I really enjoyed is the wine list….True Italian wine at great price. We will be coming back to try more items from their menu.”
Riccardo Paradisi, Facebook