The Italian Job

In a series on retail businesses which have stood the test of time we take a look inside a traditional Italian restaurant - Bella Mia, 73A Devonport Rd, Tauranga
Owners: Karen and Giuseppe Sorce
Length of tenure: 23 years plus
What: Traditional Italian restaurant specialising in home-made food, with everything made on the premises and from-scratch preparation.
How did you come to be here?
The decision to open our own restaurant was a result of the 1987 stock market crash. Giuseppe was suddenly without a job and we had a young family. We saw a great opportunity to showcase traditional Italian meals. We were the second outlet to have a coffee machine.
Why Tauranga?

We lived in Te Puke and saw the potential in Tauranga.
What was the first thing you sold?

Probably pizza but once it was known we had coffee it just grew. It was not long before we had queues out the door wanting our good food.
Who are your clients?
Local and non-local. Because we have been here for so long we get holidaymakers coming back each holiday. We are told by customers our restaurant is featured on the internet as a good place to eat so we get many travellers. Our local regulars know to phone their orders through so they don't have to wait. Because we make everything from fresh it does take a bit of time.
What do you offer?

Over the years we have refined our menu down - these are tried and true. Italian pasta dishes and pizza. We won't cut corners, everything is fresh and we use our own Italian recipes. We also use a lot of local-grown produce but always Italian extra virgin olive oil. In summer we have own home-made gelato ice cream which is very popular.
Has the retail area changed in your time here?

Definitely. Visually it is much nicer. I think the pedestrian count has stayed the same but most of our customers come from further afield than just walk-ins. We have a very established clientele. There are many more food outlets in the area now.
What do you see for your immediate future?

We are confident that the down town area in Tauranga will flourish in the near future. We will stay in this location and stay this size because we can control everything at this level. We have resisted getting bigger because we want to continue our personalised service, with home-made good quality product.