Coming soon: The Louca’s team are opening a takeaway joint
Mr Mario’s will live on the Louca’s premises but will offer a range of takeaway options that won’t compromise on that quality the seafood restaurant is known for.
For Peter Louca, owner of Louca’s on Pulteney Street, he and his team noticed consumer habits were shifting.
“Obviously, there’s still the market for people that want to come and spend X amount of hundreds of dollars on lunch and dinner, but there’s also that big market for takeaway – the office crowd, quick, delicious food that doesn’t cost you a fortune every time you want to do it,” Louca’s chef Eddie Noble says.
Along with “less people willing to spend $150 a head on dinner”, the Louca’s team noticed “people have less time”.
“[Some people] don’t want to come and sit down for two hours at lunchtime, or even half an hour sometimes is too long for most people,” Eddie says.
“Having [takeaway] there for them, where they can be in and out the door in under 10 minutes, take their food back to the office or the work site, or sit in the car with their mates, whatever they’re doing.”
In mid-August, Louca’s will be opening Mr Mario’s out the back of the Louca’s restaurant. It will be a takeaway joint specialising in quality basics like burgers, fish and chips and more.
“I think with the takeaway offering, a lot of our regulars as well, they live in the city, but people don’t necessarily want to eat out [and] get dressed up or whatever it is – I know I don’t,” Peter says.
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“Sometimes people just want to be in their tracksuit pants and sweats and running gear… there’s probably a lot [of takeaway options], but I don’t know how much quality there is out there.
“I don’t know how many times people go out and [order] takeaway, and sometimes it’s pretty disappointing, I think, for the money you pay.”
Although Louca’s has decided to expand its takeaway offering, the team assures CityMag that the quality – which is what the restaurant is known for – won’t be compromised.
“We’ll try and cover two main bases which will be that classic takeaway fish and chip shops. We’ll have a really good beef burger, really good chicken sandwich, really good fish burger,” Eddie says.
“Then another half of the menu is going to be focused around grilled fish. Whether it’s a barramundi, salmon, or garfish that comes with rice.
“And then they can choose a couple of different salads to go with it, so sort of like fish bowls. You can get that grimy fast-food takeaway, but then there’s something if you want to eat there three or four times a week.”
They will also include “snacky” menu items like dim sims, squid, prawns and more.
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Mr Mario’s have opted for this versatile menu, as they know many people “can’t really eat a beef burger with chips three, four times a week”.
“It’s not ideal,” Eddie says. “So having that option of the fresher, healthier stuff gets a different demographic, and it also might get the same demographic coming a couple of times a week.
“The fish bowls, they will be a value product as well. We’re not going to be charging 30 bucks a pop, so it’s just about having a good, diverse menu to keep a few different demographics happy.”
The Louca’s kitchen will be “essentially split into two” and “almost be treated like two different kitchens”.
“A portion of the kitchen is going to be completely renovated and set up to service Mr Mario’s and then the Louca’s kitchen, if you will, will be condensed into half the kitchen and work in unison,” Eddie says.
“[They will] obviously, share storage and sometimes staff, if someone’s struggling, but [Mr Mario’s will] almost be set up as it’s separate, own entity.”
Although the two businesses are located on the same premises, patrons won’t need to venture into Louca’s to get their takeaway fix, as Mr Mario’s will have its own space to order, eat, and wait for food.
“They can pull up out the back, especially in the evenings…there’ll be a little area where they can wait,” Peter says.
“You just roll up, order, and you’ll be able to see into the kitchen as well so you can see what these guys are doing.”
There will be a small area where patrons can dine in which will fit “about 20 people”.
Mr Mario’s is located at 242 Pulteney Street, Adelaide and is slated to open in mid-August.
Connect with the business on Instagram for more.
