
Super Marios — How to last 40 years in hospitality
From Every Bite by ABC Australia
May 1, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
The episode explores how Marios has successfully operated for 40 years in the competitive hospitality industry.
Given how often we hear about hospitality's slim margins, transient workforce, and the ever-changing tastes and habits of diners, how does a restaurant stay the course? Marios in Melbourne seems to have cracked the code: this year it marks 40 years in business. Today, we pull up a chair at Marios and meet both new and long-standing members of staff, a regular customer of note, and the eponymous Marios themselves. Guests: Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasquale, founders and owners of Marios Tony Birch, novelist, short story writer, poet and Marios regular Abbie Rowan, Sophia Bartlett, Luka Kovalskyi and Massimo Di Sora, Marios staff members Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at everybite@abc.net.au This episode of Every Bite was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
People in this episode
Guests: Mario Maccarone, Mario De Pasquale, Tony Birch, Abbie Rowan, Sophia Bartlett, Luka Kovalskyi, Massimo Di Sora
Topics covered
- hospitality
- restaurant longevity
- staff experiences
- customer loyalty
- Melbourne dining
Keywords
- hospitality
- Marios
- Melbourne
- restaurant
- staff
- customer
- 40 years
- dining
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Marios
Places: Melbourne, Wurundjeri, Kulin Nation
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