Sydney lost one of its best pizzerias last month when the Australian Tax Office stepped in over unpaid debts at Pizza Mario in Surry Hills.
While the currently closed pizzeria remains in the hands of a court-appointed liquidator, the site is poised to be rebooted under new owners.
Toni Soukoulis, from Bar Milazzo on Bridge Street in the CBD, says: "It has been offered to me, I'm keen to take it over … there are obviously a lot of legalities with a liquidator and the ATO involved, but we are hopeful and have even done the uniforms."
Soukoulis doesn't want to reopen as Pizza Mario; she's planning a joint venture with Sicilian chef Andrea Assenza on the project, which would rebrand it The Naked Italian.
"We'll do pizza at night and a casual cafe by day. It's never done lunch before," she says.
