Re Store Celebrates 90 Years as a Family-Run Perth Institution
In a world where business and bloodlines often clash, the Re family stands as a remarkable exception. Ninety years ago, John and Maria Re made a bold sacrifice, pawning their wedding ring to open a modest fruit and vegetable shop in Northbridge. Today, the Re Store not only thrives but remains firmly in family hands, with Moreno Berti—who humbly calls himself the "caretaker" rather than owner—leading the charge alongside his siblings Lorenzo and Maria. Their children are already stepping behind the counter, ensuring a legacy that spans four generations.
"It's in our blood to serve—but not as a chore," Moreno says from the chilled cellar beneath the bustling Oxford Street store on a busy Wednesday afternoon. "We enjoy it, and that's become such a rare thing these days." Upstairs, this philosophy is palpable: staff greet customers by name, conversations flow between shelves of imported goods, and some rituals have endured for decades. Moreno shares, "I've got a group of Italian guys who come in every Saturday morning and stand guard at the front. At eight o'clock, they open the door—they're always the first four in. I've been here 35 years, and they've been doing it since I started."
From Gold Rush to Grocery Empire: A Rich Family History
The Re family's entrepreneurial spirit traces back far beyond Perth. Moreno's great-grandfather, Giuseppe Re, left the Aeolian island of Salina in 1885 to run a grocery store in Sydney. Lured by the gold rush, he tried prospecting and struck a find worth £2000. In 1894, news of riches in Kalgoorlie brought him to the west coast, but it wasn't gold that defined the family's future. "Who made a lot of the money wasn't the miners—it was the people supplying them," Moreno explains. "So he got into food." By 1904, Giuseppe had opened a deli in Fremantle, followed by a second store in Northbridge.
His son John grew up immersed in the business, learning the trade from the ground up. In 1936, John and his wife Maria opened the original Re Store on the corner of Lake and Aberdeen streets, selling fresh produce and coffee roasted in-house under the Braziliano name—now one of Perth's largest coffee roasters. After World War II, a wave of European migrants found a sense of home at the Re Store, stocked with familiar flavours and imported goods, transforming it into a cultural hub. Demand surged, leading to a second location opening in 1955 on Stone Street in West Perth, with John and Maria's four daughters and their husbands deeply involved.
The Legendary Conti Roll and Community Connections
For many Perth residents, the Re Store is synonymous with its legendary continental rolls, or "conti rolls," a lunchtime institution built with layers of cured meats, cheese, antipasto, and crusty bread. Their origins are humble, rooted in the migrant experience of the late 1940s and early 1950s. "The migrants would come in on a Saturday and stand around chatting," Moreno recalls. "They'd open their little bags of sliced meats, have a roll, break it up, and just stuff the meat in while they were talking." This casual practice evolved into a solution for reducing wastage from meat ends, becoming a beloved staple.
On any given day, lines snake past shelves as customers wait for personalized service. Regulars tweak their combinations, staff remember preferences, and recommendations flow freely. "You can't replicate that online," Moreno asserts. "It's that human touch. You're not just buying food." This interaction has sustained the business through challenges, including a 1974 relocation due to the Mitchell Freeway construction and a fire about 20 years ago that threatened the Oxford Street store just before Christmas. "Everyone was lining up to help," Moreno says of the fire recovery. "Tradespeople, electricians, friends—you name it. They were cleaning, ripping out ceilings, doing whatever needed to be done. And hardly anyone charged us properly." The store reopened sooner than expected, reinforcing its community bonds.
Modern Evolution and Future Hopes
In 2018, a major shift occurred when European Foods was sold, allowing Moreno and his siblings to buy out remaining family shares and consolidate ownership of the Re Store. "We're all focused on the same goal," Moreno says. "We're headed in the same direction, and we all love what we do." Despite the rise of online shopping and large-scale retail, he remains confident in the store's place, emphasizing the value of human connection. "People still want to touch and feel products. They want advice," he notes. "They might already know what they're looking for, but they want that human connection—someone who says, 'Try this, you'll love it.' Why put a Re Store on every corner? That's not us."
Looking ahead, Moreno hopes the legacy continues with the next generation already involved. "They say the third generation is the one that breaks it," he reflects. "So if we can get it to the fourth—that's something special." With a history woven into Perth's fabric, the Re Store stands as a testament to family, community, and enduring passion.
