Enjoy the vibe at Serafinos
SERAFINOS has a long standing presence on Bair Street, Leongatha.
Fred and Mandy Truscio have been running the iconic Leongatha pizza restaurant for 11 years and they, along with their friendly staff, floor manager Carla Gramberg, waitress Madi Funnel and ‘more than just a delivery driver’ Sam Ryke, have developed a loyal customer base.
“We have incredible customers,” enthused Mandy who has been in hospitality all her life. “They’re a great bunch. And the tourists are so interesting.”
“You learn a lot about people,” said Fred who is from a farming background.
The couple have been together ‘forever’, since they were in their mid teens in fact and like themselves, Serafinos is no ordinary pizza restaurant.
With its record cover encrusted walls and deliberately mis-matched chairs, tables, plates and pepper shakers, it has an authentic and homely feel.
“We just want it to be fun,” Mandy said.
The record covers that line the walls began by accident when one was deployed to cover a wine stain.
The idea grew from there and was a perfect interior design remedy at a time when the couple had no money.
Now the covers are a great point of interest, particularly for newcomers to the dining room. All the covers have their records inside and display is regularly changed.
Fred recalls some years back, “A big, tattooed Pommy guy wanted to know if they were sale.”
He was a collector of the popular UK albums Top of the Pops and on the wall alongside the table where he was sitting were the two he did not have.
“He looked taken aback when I said no. Then I said, ‘You can have them’,” Fred said.
The album covers are fail safe conversation starters for diners waiting for their food to arrive.
So too is the collection of pepper and salt shakers, most collected over the year by customers on their travels. They are from all around the world.
As for the food, that is a story in itself.
Mandy said, “Fred is very fussy with his pizza.”
All ingredients are the best available and always fresh.
The tomato sauce is made on site as are the pizza bases made to an original recipe tweaked by Fred but unchanged in the 11 years Serafinos has been open.
“Nobody else knows the recipe,” Mandy said.
“We cut our own bacon, use the best kalamata olives and our mushrooms come from Dalyston.”
Featuring among the wines on offer are wines from djinta djinta and Clare de Lune.
Hospitality: dining at Serafinos is meant to be fun and even the takeaway delivery driver is loved by everyone. Serafinos has built a great recipe for success in the 11 years Fred and Mandy Truscio have had the restaurant.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Sep 1 2015. Filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
