Lucia's among wave of migrant stallholders who became legends of the Adelaide Central Market from late 1950s
The legendary Lucia's Pizza and Spaghetti Bar has been part of the Central Market since 1957.
Lucia Bugeja introduced Adelaide to pizza in 1957. Lucia’s Pizza and Spaghetti Bar continues into the 21st Century – one example of the tradition added by migrants, mostly Italian and Greek, who took over businesses – often giving up labouring jobs – in the Central Market from the late 1950s/60s.
Future lord mayor Steve Condous, then 21, and brother Stanley in 1956 bought the German cake shop from Gehlerts in the market’s city arcade. Con’s Fine Foods was opened by Con Savvas in 1959. Such migrant newcomers joined market stalwarts like Blackeby’s Old Lolly Shop from 1906, McMahons fruiterers (1920s) and Charlesworths Nuts (1924).
Migrants from Asia, and particularly Southeast Asia, in 1970s and 1980s added to the Central Market precinct with Chinatown and Market Plaza, west of California Street to Moonta Street. The Central Market now has 250 traders under one roof as a distinctively Adelaide institution with a bustling cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Lucia opened her spaghetti and pizza bar in the Central Market only 10 months after arriving in Adelaide in 1956, encouraged by her neighbour Dayna Hill.
Her daughters Nicci and Maria recall the early days of dealing with Anglo tastes when very few drank coffee; instead, Bonox and Cottee’s cordial were on offer. In 2018, Lucia’s grandchildren were involved in the family’s production kitchen in Salisbury, where all the sauces and take-home foods and salads are made for the pizza and spaghetti bar plus Lucia’s Fine Foods, Lucia’s Charcuterie Traiteur, and Stall 69 fruit and veg that the family now owns.
Marco and Martin Marinelli both continue a family market tradition. Marco has the Mushroom Man stall and Martin runs the Atlas continental store opened in the 1980s by their father. Marino Meats opened in the 1970s and the Cappo family has been linked with the market since 1992.
A family business since 1968, O'Connell's in the market is one of the biggest and busiest butcher shops in South Australia.
