Iconic Adelaide smallgoods store calls time

It’s the end of an era for one of Adelaide’s first Italian delis, with the Barilla family selling their treasured family business in Seaton.

After more than 50 years of serving some of the best continental goods in the west, Barilla’s Continental Store has shut its doors, with the shop now to be sold at auction on Saturday, August 10.

The family run store, at 405 Grange Rd, was started in 1968 by Antonio and Vincenza Barilla, who migrated from Italy to Australia, before starting their family.

Commercial Insights: Subscribe to receive the latest news and updates

The couple, who initially lived out the back of the shop, started the business by selling watermelons in crates on the sidewalk – later expanding into a fruit shop and progressively entering the Italian food market by opening Adelaide’s first deli.

Antonio and Vincenza Barilla outside the store. Picture: Supplied

Paying tribute to his family’s legacy, Joe Barilla – one of Antonio and Vincenza’s six children – said the decision to sell had been made with a heavy heart.

“It’s our heritage, so to close it down was very difficult and there were a lot of tears in the family,” he says.

“It was an icon in the area…and the first of its kind in the western suburbs. It led to the growth of similar businesses in Adelaide, and even the supermarkets piggybacked off it, because it was such a winning formula.”

While the shop helped bring culinary foods to Adelaide, Barilla says his family’s business success is the result of hard work.

Barilla Continental when it first opened.

“It really is a story about immigrants who came here with nothing, because my dad arrived here literally with just a suit case but would later build up a very successful business,” he says.

“He didn’t speak a word of English and had to manipulate his birthday on his passport so that he could get his licence as he was only 16 when he came here.

“For him, coming to Australia was about escaping the war but also to look for a better life.

Antonio Barilla behind the counter.

The war ravaged Europe and Italy especially, but the news over there was that Australia was the land of plenty.”

Barilla says his father passed away in 1996, leaving brother Tony to run the shop.

“We were all raised and worked at the shop but it was Tony who took over the business in the early 2000s,” he saiys.

“He ran it by himself, which was very tiring. Seven days a week is a lot and he eventually got to the point where he said “I can’t do it anymore”.

“Of course it’s sad to see the shop go but we all support his decision. Things happen and you have just got to move on.”

The store will go to auction on August 10. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Barilla’s nephew, Antonio Trimboli, a selling agent with Ray White West Torrens will take the shop to auction on Saturday, August 10 at noon.

He says interest thus far has come from commercial investors, looking to capitalise on the popularity of the site.

“The way I’m selling it is that my grandparents saw an opportunity here more than 50 years ago and set up a very successful business. Now it’s time for someone else to reap those same opportunities,” Trimboli says.

“Because it was such a successful business, the site is giving the sale an edge…so I think it’s definitely going to sell (at auction).”

This article from the The Advertiser originally appeared as “Iconic Adelaide smallgoods Barilla Continental Store to close its doors”.