General News
23 April, 2026
Forty years of pizza gusto
WHEN more than 200 past and present staff members travel from across Australia to celebrate a business’s birthday, you know it’s more than just a pizza shop, it’s an institution.
That was the scene at Innisfail Shire Hall last Friday, (17 April), where Roscoe’s Pizza Place marked its 40th anniversary with a staff reunion honouring four decades of family, food and community.
Guests were treated to catering by Roscoe’s, live music by Beer & Body and a nostalgic display of memorabilia, including an array of uniforms, pizza trays, menus, an old delivery car door, and even the perspex telephone once mounted on the delivery cars.
A tribute table with photos and lit candles honoured former staff, family members and customers who have since died.
Roscoe’s story began on 10 April 1986, when Ross and Estralita Cavallaro opened Roscoe’s Pizza Place at 166a Edith Street, Innisfail opposite the Commonwealth Hotel.
In the wake of Cyclone Winifred’s devastation of local crops, the couple took a leap of faith, offering take-away pizza, pasta, hot dogs and garlic bread to a town ready for something new.
For 40 years, Roscoe’s has weathered floods, cyclones, a pilot strike, the Global Financial Crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and even the current fuel crisis.
The business continues to employ between 20 and 30 staff. Over 600 people are estimated to have worked at Roscoe’s over the past 40 years.
The Cavallaro family credit their longevity to a simple but steadfast formula: dedicated staff, excellent customer service, authenticity and consistently high-quality products.
Read next week’s edition for Maria Girgenti’s full coverage of the business and celebrations.
Read More: Innisfail