Pellegrini's (outside)

Pellegrini’s bar was started in 1954, in Bourke St , Melbourne ’s CBD. It was fantastic, business boomed and the bar became famous. It was because it was one of a kind, basically the first coffee shop in Melbourne . You could come in, sit down in the bar or even the kitchen (which is now a bit of a debate between the owner and health inspectors) and grab a drink, cake or bowl of pasta. From personal experience, we can say that Pellegrinis granita is the best granita anywhere in Australia, if not the world!

The bar (even though it sells no alcohol, so why ‘bar’, I don’t know) was started because of the need for a place like that, somewhere to come and sit during your lunch break etc. It hasn’t changed a bit, and everyone there is striving their hardest to make sure it doesn’t.

There are 8 staff employed at Pellegrini’s, and they are all working hard, making cakes, pasta, drinks, serving, cooking, washing up etc. All of the staff are Italian, but they have had Greeks and Australians working there as well.

It is a nice, old-fashioned type of place, which doesn’t use any computer technology. In fact, the only real technology they have is a key activated alarm system over the building, which is owned by Sisto, the bar manager/owner.

The only way that Pellegrini’s advertises is by offering good food and good service at a reasonable price, and word of mouth. So far, this has been proven to be the best form of advertising that money can buy, because it is very effective.

Wall Display

Tom, Mars and Sisto

Pellegrini’s is open hours are from 8 am to 11.30 pm , Monday to Saturday, and 12 noon till 8 pm on Sunday. They are open most days of the year, only taking days off for festive days such as Christmas and Easter. The bar tends to be busiest around lunch (during everyone’s lunch break) and dinner ( to go out for a drink at dinnertime). All sorts of people go into Pellegrinis “from the Prince to the Pauper”.

The people who work at Pellegrini’s choose what to sell, and try it out on the public. If it sells well, they keep it. If it doesn’t, they don’t. Pellegrini’s have licences issued by the Melbourne city council for food and health.

Sisto’s definition of a small business is something where the owner has to work very hard to make something out of it.

Job Warehouse’s owner, Jacob Ziemer, 91, says “I was here before they were! When the Pellegrini Brothers were there. I don’t eat there – I drink only. I am kosher.” He goes in, puts 20 cents on the counter for a little cup of milk and a piece of lemon, and takes it up to his shop. (To see a report on Jobs Warehouse, click here.)