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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-09-06 Daily Xml
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Mercato

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (15:35): It is an absolute pleasure today to speak about the 50th anniversary of what is certainly a jewel in the crown of my electorate of Hartley, that being the wonderful institution that is Mercato. Recently, I attended what was an absolutely astonishing gathering for Mercato. Mercato is a much-loved family business in my electorate of Hartley that caters to patrons and customers right across the state who come from all across Adelaide to indulge in and appreciate authentic Italian culture and cuisine.

Last month, Mercato celebrated its 50th anniversary, and I had the pleasure of attending what was a very generously catered celebration at Plant 4 Bowden. We know that in 1972 the Caporaso family, Imma and Mario, brought Italian culture and quality to Adelaide on St Bernards Road with their children, John and Angela. Compared with what Mercato is now, that first venture was a humble but dedicated continental deli, sharing once piece of Italy at a time with the community. It was not limited to cuisine either, as there was culture as well. When Italy won that most famous cup in 1982, Mercato was the only place in Adelaide where you could get an Italian T-shirt marking the occasion before everyone else lined up to get one as well.

Twenty-six years later, John and his wife, Rose, joined Imma and Mario to take the family business to new heights. In 2005, the famous Imma and Mario's Mercato opened in Campbelltown, later shortened to what is well known and loved, Mercato. The family business continued to grow into what it is today—a shining example of a strong, family-owned business and, more importantly, the successful realisation of the great Australian dream.

Mercato is an example that, if you come to this country and you work hard and you make sacrifice and you make smart business decisions, you can do extremely well. There are people in my community who have worked for Mercato for years and years—in some cases over 20 years—so not only have the Caporaso family provided for themselves but they have also provided for the local community, giving jobs to dozens and dozens of people along the way.

The milestones never stopped. In 2015, we saw the launch of Bar Mercato and in 2018 we saw the birth of wholesale business Vinify Wine Co—another strong and thriving venture. It is certainly clear to me that this dedication and hard work runs in the family, and John has certainly inherited this quality. Mercato today boasts an astonishingly vast and diverse selection of the highest quality Italian cuisine and goods, and their reputation speaks for itself.

The milestones continue. When John was asked what further ambitions he had for Mercato's next 10 years, he responded with, 'More stores! A market! To go global!' It is fair to say that, in the case of Mercato, first it is Campbelltown, then it is North Adelaide and then it is the world because we learnt on that night that there will be another version of Mercato at 88 O'Connell Street. I guarantee you one thing, sir—all the residents who complained about 88 O'Connell Street will be shopping at Mercato. You can bet your bottom dollar on that, sir.

It is a new chapter for Mercato that will enable the family to share their hard work, their love and their flawless interpretation of Italian cuisine and culture. It is a wonderful opportunity for Mercato to be a part of this exciting project together with Commercial and General. As John says, 'Mercato has a view that the world needs to eat, drink and live better,' and there is no doubt that this fantastic opportunity will realise this vision.

I do want to thank the Caporaso family for allowing us in our local community to live a bit better, to eat a bit better and to drink a bit better. It is a wonderful success story of small business: a migrant family who came here, put it all on the line and prospered, but of course it has also employed dozens and dozens of people along the way for what is truly a vital jewel in the crown of Hartley. I wish Mercato and the family much success for the next 50 years.

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