Sunshine Coast restaurant Italia Pizza & Pasta selling after 12 years
A Sunshine Coast couple poured six months and $200,000 into building a venue for their profitable pizzeria, but have now put it on the market. Find out why.
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A Sunshine Coast couple is selling their booming pizzeria of 10 years after sinking $200,000 into helping hand build their venue from a formerly “crappy” shed.
Joe, 53, and Tamara Skok, 48, are selling Italia Pizza & Pasta along Nicklin Way, Currimundi after they and their two then-teenage kids, Zoe and Billy, opened the brand in 2012 previously in Golden Beach.
There appears to be a craving for Italian restaurants on the Sunshine Coast, with one having popped up in Mooloolaba and another one on its way in the new Maroochydore CBD.
With their pizzas flying out of the oven, Mrs Skok said they bought their own premises at their current location in 2020 and spent $200,000 and six months building and fitting out their 21-team pizzeria today.
Mrs Skok said her husband, a former concreter in Sydney, helped transform the place from a “crappy” and “debilitated” small concrete shed and car yard.
While she was “so proud” of their profitable, 30-seat venue, Mrs Skok said they were selling up because it was time and she wanted to pursue her old career, naturopathy.
“That’s my love,” she said.
She said her husband was also looking forward to spending more time restoring classic cars.
Asked if the pandemic and staff and chef shortages played a role in their decision to sell, Mrs Skok said they weren’t factors, adding that her business boasted low staff turnover.
Mrs Skok said she has had 16 inquiries since listing her business three weeks ago, a brand she described as successful because it struck a balance between offering authentic Italian pizza and extra toppings for Aussies.
She also said her venue was popular because of its ability to make 350 pizzas within a three-hour period.
Italia Pizza & Pasta was currently listed for about $450,000.
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