They don’t make them like this anymore: 38-year-old pizzeria hits the market
A long-standing family-run pizza restaurant, Il Cugino Pizzeria, has been listed for sale, marking the end of an era for the owners who have decided it’s time to move on after serving the Leichhardt community for nearly four decades.
The fitted-out restaurant on Norton Street has operated for 38 years by its original owners, who served up classics from margarita pizza to spaghetti bolognese and espressos. It became a familiar fixture for locals in what was once considered the heart of Sydney’s Little Italy.
From the 1950s onwards, Leichhardt emerged as a hub for Italian migrants settling in Sydney’s Inner West, with Norton Street quickly evolving into a vibrant cultural and culinary destination lined with traditional trattorias, delicatessens and family-run cafes serving espressos. The precinct wasn’t simply a dining destination, but a social setting where the community could come together.
Listing agent Michael Montano, director of Montano Group, says the venue reflects a style of hospitality that has gradually disappeared as the suburb has evolved.
“You don’t get those anymore – those owner-operated placed where you talk about politics, have a conversation. It’s like when you go to Italy, you have a coffee and you sit and talk. It’s similar to that,” Montano says.
Prior to establishing themselves on Norton Street, the traditionally Italian family had operated in Surry Hills.
While Leichhardt remains synonymous with Italian culture, Montano notes that many long-standing family-run venues have gradually disappeared as demographic and retail patterns shift, with newer dining precincts emerging across neighbouring suburbs such as Haberfield and Five Dock.
“It’s sad, of course, these quintessential restaurants leaving the area, but I think that’s everywhere that’s been owner-occupied, and nobody’s filling the void,” he says.
The freehold property is being offered for sale by negotiation with a guide of $1.9 million and presents an opportunity for investors to retain the existing hospitality use or explore future redevelopment potential.
Set on a sizeable 220-square-metre landholding, the site benefits from flexible planning controls that may support vertical expansion, subject to council approval. Montano says prospective purchasers could consider this to maximise the asset’s long-term value, particularly if combined with neighbouring sites.
“Ultimately, if you amalgamated with next door, you could obviously have a more justifiable site – but technically you can go up,” he says.
With early interest already emerging from locals familiar with the precinct, the offering presents a rare opportunity to secure a tightly held hospitality asset in one of Sydney’s most established dining corridors while preserving a small slice of Leichhardt’s culinary history.
