How long have you owned your store?

My business partner, Pinto, and I own three stores – the first of which we started three years ago.

What did you do before you opened your store?

I’ve been working in Crust for nearly 10 years, with Pinto, who has worked for the brand for eight years. I started working across eight stores as a driver, progressed to preparing pizzas, then became a manager, and now I own three stores.

Why did you decide to open three Crust stores?

Motivation – I felt there was positive growth in the business. I know that customers are looking for quality products and I always went to Crust for the consistent quality of the pizza. In the past, I worked in some restaurants and most ordered Italian, so I understood the popularity of Italian food.

Why should your local community support you?

The main reason is because of the quality products we serve to customers, on a consistent basis. For example, when we opened the Point Cook store, the quality wasn’t the best. Now, we’ve entirely turned it around… to the point that local chefs come and eat here. Also, we’re heavily involved in the community. We sponsor Armadale cricket and the local tennis community; we give vouchers for pizza for competitions.

Tell us something about you?

I love to make pizzas. I enjoy posting photos of the team’s best pizzas on social media to motivate everyone to improve their standards.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about always providing the best service to customers; continually learning and improving. I believe in customer service first, followed by quality of product.

Where did you meet your business partner?

I met my business partner from working in store.