La Macelleria Opened in Teneriffe “Almost by Accident”. Here’s How the Area Has Evolved Since

La Macelleria helped kickstart a mini gelato boom in Brisbane when it opened in 2014. Although co-owners Matteo Zini and Matteo Casone have since expanded the gelateria to four stores, spanning the city and the Gold Coast, La Macelleria remains synonymous with Teneriffe, the suburb where its first shop still stands. But Zini says opening in the riverside neighbourhood happened “almost by accident”.

When Zini and Casone moved to Brisbane from their native Italy, they settled in New Farm. “We heard it was sort of like the old Italian area,” Zini says. From there, they began scouting for the best place to open their gelateria. The friends were all set to take a spot in Bulimba, but the deal fell through the day they arrived to sign the paperwork. Feeling dejected, they caught the City Cat back across the river to Teneriffe, ready to ride their bikes home to New Farm.

“We decided to take a detour up Florence Street, because we had friends working at Beccofino. As soon as we went up, we saw this massive lease sign.” The space at 29 Florence Street, just a few doors down from the lauded Italian restaurant, seemed ideal. “We knew Beccofino was busy, and the shop was near the river, so that’s great for people on the weekend … We called immediately and worked out a deal.”

Zini and Casone moved into an apartment in the Cannery building around the corner, “to understand and be part of the community”. For their part, Teneriffe locals enthusiastically embraced La Macelleria. Its proximity to Beccofino didn’t hurt. “We really have to thank them for the early success, because a lot of people would eat there, then walk across and have gelato at our place,” Zini says. 

Running La Macelleria gave Zini a front-row seat for the transformation of the neighbourhood. The conversion of its heritage-listed woolstore buildings to apartments in the mid-2000s had quietly turned Teneriffe into one of Brisbane’s most desirable inner-city districts. By 2014, buildings in the 0.9-square-kilometre suburb had nowhere to go but up.

“Further up from us, along Commercial Road, there were all these little houses, there weren’t any highrises. But in a matter of two to three years, it completely changed,” Zini says. Towers have replaced old industrial spaces too, especially around the Gasworks development in neighbouring Newstead. “There’s still new buildings going up now. [Teneriffe] is evolving continuously.”

Although Zini no longer lives in the area, he’s glad to see some things haven’t changed over the past 12 years. “When I work in the Teneriffe store, I see the same faces coming into our place from the old days – more than anywhere else,” he says. “I was there last Saturday and a mum came in with her daughter, who I first met when she was four. She’s now 16, and she’s like, ‘Hey, Matteo, what are you doing in the shop?’” 

Loyal local support has given Teneriffe a clutch of longstanding venues – many of them older than La Macelleria – with a strong sense of camaraderie. Beccofino, which opened in 2004, still draws diners from all over Brisbane. When he’s back in the neighbourhood, Zini visits his friend Mario Cali, chef-owner of Italian cafe Locale (opened in 2012) at the Newstead end of Commercial Road. Fish’s Seafood Market on Macquarie Street is another favourite: “We get a great barramundi from them. They’ve been there for ages.” 

Zini says “it feels like Teneriffe people are more willing to go out”. And when they do, Dalgety Public House, at the base of the former Dalgety & Co woolstore, is a perfect place for a drink. He also loves casual Japanese spot Hikari, the baby of Florence Street, having opened in 2019. 

“We just renewed the lease; we’re gonna stay for many years,” says Zini, and it’s easy to see why it’s one of his favourite neighbourhoods. “You’ve got everything: good food, good cafes, nice old buildings – and good gelato.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Square.