Two Marios Celebrate 40 Years of Melbourne Institution

Topic: Hospitality Industry

A press shot in the early days of Marios.

Marios caused a firestorm when it denied Jerry Seinfeld's team a table for breakfast in the late 1990s.

The cafe has a strict no-booking policy, which remains today, 40 years after it first opened.

Many diners, including celebrities like Kylie Minogue, Ryan Gosling, and Heath Ledger, have enjoyed meals at Marios.

Kylie Minogue has visited Marios over the decades.

Today, Marios will give diners a free magazine celebrating its history with contributions from famous fans.

'Headquarters for alternative Melbourne'

Mario Maccarone says the cafe was in a rundown area with cheap rent when it opened.

Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasquale outside the cafe.

The area was 'the headquarters for alternative Melbourne'.

It was a great place to be, with community radio stations and theaters nearby.

The cafe welcomed all kinds of minorities, so it was embraced by everyone.

Creative deals were cut by agents, promoters, and managers using the cafe's payphone.

A hit from the start

Maccarone and De Pasquale got the keys to the cafe on Maccarone's 24th birthday.

De Pasquale had started his own catering business, which was taking off.

The cafe was opened almost as an afterthought, but it quickly became popular.

De Pasquale ran the kitchen, while Maccarone waited tables in the early days.

As time went by, it made sense to have two Marios out front to cover more hours.

A Marios float during a waiters' race event on Brunswick Street.

Maccarone says they wanted to provide an honest 'eating house' with wholesome Italian fare and flair.

The cafe had proper tablecloths and waiters that looked like waiters, which was unusual in 1980s Fitzroy.

In the first year, the cafe only had one toilet, which diners could only access by walking through the kitchen.

Filling a gap in Melbourne's hospitality scene

Maccarone says he and De Pasquale identified two main things missing in Melbourne hospitality.

An early menu from 1987 featured the cafe's popular all-day breakfast.

One thing missing was all-day breakfast, which was hard to find in Melbourne.

The cafe's audience, including artists and musicians, loved that they could have breakfast at any time.

The kitchen stayed open as long as the doors were open, so customers could have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at any time.

Loyal staff, customers stay for the long haul

Customer Timothy has been dining at Marios since he was a uni student in the early 1990s.

Timothy still goes to Marios about three times a week with his family and likes the fact that many staff have been around for years.

Once you start going to a place for a long time, you get a family feel.

Marios staff member Dan Barron out front at the Melbourne institution.

Timothy's older daughter, who turned 18, now comes to Marios with her girlfriends, making it an intergenerational experience.

The Fitzroy North resident loves the garlic bread and spaghetti bolognese and plans to join the 40th celebrations.

Even if Marios isn't offering day one menu prices, Timothy jokes that they should have $1.50 pastas every day.

One retirement down, no plans for a second

The older Mario retired about five years ago, but not before helping the business survive the pandemic.

The two Marios pictured at work in the early 1990s.

During the pandemic, the cafe sold groceries and delivered meals to people's front doors.

Marios has continued its tradition of hosting a different art exhibition every three weeks.

Maccarone has no plans to retire soon, still thriving on interactions with customers.

Maccarone loves the place, and people love it, so it's easy to be proud and enjoy it.

So it's pretty easy to be proud of it and enjoy it.

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