For almost a decade, Marino and Yvonne Roberto have cooked 30 kilos of gnocchi every week, offering countless customers their authentic Italian pasta fix.

And regulars know to flock to Marino’s Food Van opposite the police station on Thursdays and next to the Harry Brown bottle shop on Fridays.

A shock post to their Facebook page on Monday had prompted the Whitsunday community to share hundreds of memories, with many fearing this was the end of an era as the couple stepped down.

But they are passing on their knowledge to the next generation first.

Marino’s Food Van will be taken over Melissa Avery and Tahnee Brazil, who both have lived in the Whitsundays for years and are raising their own families.

Melissa Avery, 42, was in the middle of a ‘cooking session’ when the Whitsunday Times chatted to her, as chef Marino was sharing his ‘secret’ pasta recipes with her and partner Tahnee Brazil, 38.

For new co-owner Ms Avery there are big shoes to fill and the pressure is on.

“Marino and Yvonne are such beautiful people that it’s very easy to work with them,” she said.

“We did a lot of cooking today, and of course we were given his very top secret recipes, which is a bit of an honour to have those recipes in my little hand.

“We want to make sure that all the pasta tastes the same.”

Why are Marino’s pasta so iconic to the Whitsundays?

The Robertos have been bringing Italian dishes to the Whitsundays for decades and the food truck was only their latest addition.

They operated two restaurants and a deli shop beforehand, and stayed in tropical Queensland for the community.

Marino is Italian and Yvonne born in Switzerland, they were married 35 years ago in Lugano, an Italian-speaking region of Switzerland.

In 1988, they packed up their lives to open a restaurant in Australia.

“It was about travelling and not living in the same country all our lives,” Ms Roberto said.

“And Marino wanted to live in a country where he would be warm all the time.”

That year, they opened the Seagulls Bistro in Cannonvale, in the spot where popular cafe Fat Frog’s now stands.

A second Airlie Beach restaurant called Marino’s Italian Restaurant remained open until 2000.

They swapped the restaurant game for a delicatessen at the Whitsundays Shopping Centre.

But in 2016 a devastating fire destroyed nine businesses including their own, turning decades of memories to ashes.

After the tragic episode they decided they would start open a food truck twice a week, but had to learn how cook again in such a small space.

While discussing retirement plans, Ms Roberto said the people kept them open for so long, supporting them through everything.

“There’s always a million jobs you put off for a long time,” she said.

“But there will be lots of fishing, lots of gardening and lots of travelling.”

How will the food truck change under new ownership?

Ms Avery said the food truck would retain its authentic recipes, which would “never change”, but that her and partner Tahnee Brazil would be looking at developing the business more.

Changes would include more opening times, with breakfast menus and a panini bar in the mix.

She said they would be looking at catering to more events, and offer services for weddings or festivals.