“Un espresso per la signora per favore” (one espresso for this lady, please); “Ecco pronta la piadina cotto e mozzarella” (Here is the ham and mozzarella piadina); or “Gli gnocchi fatti in casa sono una delle nostre specialità” (Home made gnocchi are among our signature dishes). That’s how people talk when they visit one of DOC restaurants in Melbourne, Australia. And we are not talking about Italians, only. Everybody knows here that if you go to one of DOC bars you have to speak Italian. Or at least you will have to pretend to do that, considering that waitress there speaks only Italian.
AN AUTHENTIC CORNER OF ITALY – But please, don’t think they do that because their English is not good enough. They understand everything, but they need to endorse DOC Group brilliant marketing strategy: creating an authentic corner of Italy in Australia. Actually, this is exactly what DOC costumers love. “You go there for a quick work lunch and you have the feeling of being holiday: everybody is smiling, laughing, and they speak another language. It’s just amazing!”, tells Sarah Bide, a Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, which is just a couple of meters away from Lygon Street, the so called “Italian area” in Melbourne. “I have been to Italy many times”, adds her colleague Allan Walter, “But I never realized that coffee and aperitivo are much more that a cup of coffee and a happy hour with some tapas. It’s really a cultural thing, and you can truly experience it only with Italians. And now we have it here in Australia! So whenever I have guests and I want to impress them, I bring them to DOC”.
THE ITALIAN WAY: THE SUCCESS OF AN OBSESSION – “No matter where you go”, explains Tony Nicolini, DOC Founder and Ceo, “You can feel that Italy has played a huge role in shaping Australian life and habits. What we do here at DOC is showing people what it means to do things ‘The Italian Way’”. Mr Nicolini admits that he has developed an obsession for preserving “The Italian Way”, but he also believes that his current success is the direct consequence of his “obsession”. “I may have been born and raised as an Australian, but I think and live as an Italian. And what we, Italian, do is charming people”. Mr Nicolini describes DOD philosophy as a very simple one: “every time someone walks through the door, I want my staff to charm them. I want them to use their personality, their intellect and their generous nature to make every person that walks through the door feel like a part of the family”.
TRADITION AND INNOVATION – Five business operate under the DOC brand now in Melbourne: two Pizza & Mozzarella Bar, one Pizzeria, one Espresso bar and one Delicatessen. People say they often go back to DOC not only because they love Italian food and they like to taste it in a truly Italian environment, but also because there is always something new to learn. Indeed, differently from many other Italian restaurants and bars in Australia, Mr Nicolini has been so successful also because he has been able to blend tradition and innovation. He has never adapted Italian plates to the Australian taste, but he has taught Australians how to appreciate Italian food, the real one.
