Business
3 May, 2026
Dining institution turns 40
WHEN Cyclone Larry plunged Innisfail into darkness in 2006, one small business kept the region fed.
Roscoe’s Pizza Place, armed with an Ergon-supplied generator and sheer determination, cooked 700 hot meals a day for exhausted field crews. It was a defining moment that showed exactly why this family-run institution has weathered every challenge and thrived for 40 years.
Ross and Estralita Cavallaro learned the craft of pizza working with Bibbi Locastro who ran Bibbi’s Pizza & Pasta in Cairns. Their lives changed dramatically in 1986 when Cyclone Winifred devastated Innisfail, leaving Ross, then a cane harvester contractor, facing an uncertain financial future.
With two young children, strong family support and a bold question, “Can we sell pizza and pasta to Italians and other nationalities who already know good food?”, the couple took a leap of faith. “It wasn’t an opportunity; it was a risk. A big one,” said Estralita.
On 10 April 1986, Roscoe’s Pizza Shop opened at 166a Edith Street, selling pizza and pasta with ingredients from Oliveri’s Deli. As demand grew, the Cavallaro family expanded to a 25-30 seat restaurant, then later moved to a larger 90-seat premises at 170 Edith Street, where they introduced home delivery and their first buffet.
The business has always been a true family affair, with Ross’s brothers Vince and Anthony joining the team Cavallaro and even his grandfather, Rosario Cavallaro, peeled onions well into his 90s without shedding a tear. Estralita’s parents, siblings, cousins and extended family also played their part.
In 2000, the business moved to 3b Ernest Street, becoming Roscoe’s Piazza with a restaurant and upstairs function room. They operated there for 22 years before relocating four years ago to their current site, a former service station at 102 Edith Street, prominently positioned on the Bruce Highway.
For over 20 years, the Cavallaro family made their own traditional dough bases before switching to factory made bases to ensure consistency.
The business has catered for some of the region’s biggest events, including Tully Sugar’s centenary dinner in 2005 for 560 guests and the Innisfail Greek Taverna Night.
Roscoe’s has seen food industry outlets come and go and fast-food franchises start up.
“We are proud of the survival and grateful for the ongoing support of the local community and extremely grateful to past and present staff for their input, energy and commitment in making Roscoe’s the business it is today,” Estralita Cavallaro said.
As trends and trading changed, so did Roscoe’s products and methods, from deck ovens to automated conveyor ovens, handwritten orders to computerised systems. Through economic downturns, natural disasters, a pandemic and shifting tastes, the Cavallaro family adapted and persevered.
“Standing here reflecting on 40 years in business is humbling and deeply rewarding,” Ross Cavallaro said.
“When the journey began, I could not imagine where it would lead, the growth, challenges, the lessons and most importantly the people who have become part of the story,” he said.
Today, the business has come full circle, from larger premises back to a smaller, more intimate restaurant, but their signature pizza menu remains unchanged. After 25 years supporting Ross, Estralita has stepped back, and their son Grayson Cavallaro, a former marine motor mechanic, has led front-of-house operations for more than a decade.
Forty years on, Roscoe’s Pizza and Pasta Place is a shining example of resilience, family and the power of good food to bring a community together.
Read More: Innisfail