By Alesha Capone
MY WYNDHAM: Nunzio Materia runs Sottiles Pizza & Takeaway in Werribee. He began working at the business, which has been in his family for more than three decades, while still at school. He chats with Alesha Capone.
How did the shop get started?
My uncle Giovani and his two sons, Nunz and Michael, started Sottiles back in 1988. I bought if from my uncle around 13 years ago. I first started working here back in ’93, when I was still at school, making pizzas. Giovani passed away a few years ago, Nunz now lives in Tarneit and Michael still helps out in the shop. My uncle was originally from Italy. They also founded Sottiles in Hoppers Crossing, but it has been sold since. Sometimes people confuse the two of our shops, they come here to pick up an order but they actually ordered the food from the Hoppers Crossing store.
What do you enjoy about running the shop?
I like making all the different pizzas, including all the weird and different combinations you can get, and making new pizzas and meeting new people. I meet lots of people. The customers are really friendly, which is great. I was born in Werribee and I still live here, so it’s good to be close to the business.
Do you often get unusual orders from customers?
We had one last night – a customer requested a marinara pizza with a bolognese sauce.
Do you have a favourite pizza?
We have the ‘Nunz Special’. It has a tomato and cheese base, ham, salami, pineapple, capsicums and cheese and sauce on top. It’s one of my cousin’s favourite pizzas, he invented it and it’s still popular at the pizza shop.
You’re located in the Quarbing Street shopping strip, how has the area around here changed in the past 30 years?
It’s more populous now than what it used to be, there are no more empty blocks. It’s busier too. But I still get the same people coming to the shop, who were customers in the 1980s and ’90s, back from when I started. I remember their kids, who are now grown up and driving cars. It’s good here because it’s a quiet, residential area. Also, all the people are really friendly. The only downside of it being quiet around here is that a lot of people still don’t know we’re here, although we’ve been here for so long.
