Heeding the call of coffee

Nunzio Gumina (Class of 1964) has achieved many things in his 73 years, but none so meaningful to the Fremantle community as the founder of the cappuccino strip.

In 1977 the CBC gentleman was the first Fremantle business to introduce al fresco dining on the pavement outside his cafe, Papa Luigi’s Pizza and Coffee Lounge, located on the corner of Collie Street and South Terrace where Grill’d now operates.

Along with his mother and siblings, six year-old Nunzio arrived in Fremantle in 1954 from Sicily but the burgeoning businessman still recalled outdoor dining experiences from his early childhood.

It was when he was selling Benny’s specialty ice-cream from the back of a truck that Nunzio met an Italian chef who scoffed at the exquisite desserts and said the only thing that could complement his delicious food was good coffee – and a seed was planted.

Nunzio remembered those words and when he had an opportunity to purchase Papa Luigi’s, he jumped at the chance to put his dreams into action, heralding the blossoming of Fremantle’s famous cappuccino strip.

There was a method in his madness and the reason Nunzio wanted to bring tables and chairs to the footpath was the community of customers he inherited who spilled out the front of the premises. The daytime crew amicably played cards and chatted about sport, but the evening gang harassed passers-by and frightened pedestrians so they would cross to the other side of the road to avoid them.

The ‘Fremantle Rocks’ gave the place a bad reputation, waiting to fight off their arch enemies, the Coolbellup boys, playing pinball and swearing, until Nunzio came along. He understood that what these tough second-generation Italians feared more than anything was causing their mama heartache, and he used this knowledge to his advantage.

It was also evident that the young men needed an outlet so, in consultation with some local social workers and using his experience with youth as a soccer coach, Nunzio set up a boxing ring in the basement of the caffé. After the tables were wiped clean and the lights were switched off, downstairs the refereed fights would start, with Nunzio officiating and presenting a prized cup at the end of the bouts. The plan worked and the rival gangs made peace of sorts, keeping out of each other’s turf and calming down the ruffian elements of Fremantle.

The dapper CBC gentleman made many friends while making and serving coffee, and was also the patron of burgeoning artists who lived and worked in cheap studios around the town centre. They were able to make ends meet by selling paintings off the walls of Nunzio’s legendary cafe, which became known as Old Papa’s when New Papa’s was built a few doors down, and both coffee shops were always bustling with people seeking the best coffee and company in Fremantle.

After attending St Patrick’s Primary School and CBC, where he found new friends by sharing crayfish that were cheap and easily sourced from the local fishermen, Nunzio finished off his schooling at John Curtin College. A hard-worker as modelled by his father and unable to ever sit still, he was employed by the local grocer until the day after he finished school when he commenced full-time as Service Manager at Ashton Motors on Queen Victoria Street. Booking the servicing of cars and ordering parts was far from the smell of coffee beans, and he also tried his hand owning an auction house and working up in the Pilbara before discovering that his real passion lay in hospitality.

Nunzio has seen Freo evolve from a workingclass port city, a haven for artists and bohemians, through the gentrification and heyday of America’s Cup to the much-loved cultural hub it is today. His ventures followed the rollercoaster, always addressing the needs of his customers and reinvigorating the industry, confirming his status as the father of the cappuccino strip. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have sat in a Nunzio establishment, including the family-friendly Villa Roma in the west end, upmarket Limoncello on Marine Terrace, kebab shops and even Metropolis Fremantle.

Nowadays his self-titled five-star restaurant on Essex Street captures the vast experience, humble elegance and simple pleasures of Nunzio’s life, and is praised for its fine food and wine.

But you can still guarantee it’s the coffee that seals the deal.