Description

Royal Park Deli was known as V&J Vasic's Delicatessen from 1960 until 1976. From 1960 until the late 60's the shop was a small general store that sold a variety of products loosly. Flour, Wheat, Semolina. Arnotts Biscuits came in tin boxes and were sold by weight in brown paper bags. The shop also carried Fruit and vegetables and became known as "The" Continental Delicatessen on Tapleys hill Road. Mrs. Vasic was a Master Shopkeeper from Yugoslavia where she underwent an apprenticeship in running a business and was qualified to manage much larger premises. This was altogether different to the system she found when she came to Australia, where basically anyone could open a shop, with no training in economics, finance, Hygene , Sales and Marketing, Food types, Butchery, Presentation, Cooking and Food preparation. Mrs. Vasic could speak seven languages and had a continuous stream of European clients. In the Early 60's the Government had a compulsory acquisition of property fronts along Tapleys Hill road for road widening purposes, this never occurred, however the consequence was the knocking down of many old shop fronts. Mr and Mrs Vasic built a new deli next door to the old, in the front yard of their house in 1965, the old store was knocked down in 1971 for redevelopment. Mr Vasic worked in tandem with Mrs Vasic, going to the East end markets in the early hours of the morning three days a week to replenish stock of Fruit and Vegetables.