By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Every family has its quirks, but few can claim to have inspired a national food brand. For Morney and Nichole Schlebusch, the spark came not from a boardroom brainstorm, but from the echoing chant of their four children at the dinner table: "Pizza, Pasta, Please!”
"It was born right at our family dinner table,” Morney recalls. "One night, like many others, the kids were hungry and excited. A couple of them were calling out for pizza, two wanted plain pasta and I stopped them and said, ‘What’s the magic word?’
"In unison, they all shouted back, laughing: ‘Pizza, Pasta, Please!’” That playful ritual, full of laughter and togetherness, became the heartbeat of what would grow into Pizza Pasta Please.
From those humble beginnings, the brand has risen like a perfectly baked dough, now boasting three locations – Windsor, Rouse Hill and the newly opened Woolworths Metro Green Square in Zetland.
The Zetland launch marks Pizza Pasta Please’s first partnership with Woolworths Metro, allowing shoppers to order and pay for a restaurant-quality meal while grabbing their groceries.
"Our whole concept is built around the idea that meals taste better when they’re shared and experiences are richer when people connect,” Morney says. "The create-your-own model sparks conversations, comparisons and plenty of laughter at the table.”
It’s fast. Really fast. Pizzas are cooked in 1 minute 45 seconds, pastas in under three, all from scratch with in-house dough, sauces and fresh ingredients.
The family’s own dinner table quirks inspired much of the menu. "Sometimes one wanted extra cheese, another wanted plain pasta and someone else wanted all the toppings! That taught us the importance of flexibility and giving people the freedom to create a meal that’s truly theirs,” Nichole explains.
One picky eater, who insisted on pasta with absolutely nothing on it - no sauce, no cheese, nothing - even shaped their approach. "We realised that if our own kids wanted to customise their meals so specifically, then our customers probably would too.”
Guests can build their own pizzas from hand-stretched dough cooked to perfection in under two minutes or pair pasta shapes like penne, spaghetti and fusilli with classic or contemporary sauces such as Napoli, creamy Alfredo, or zesty pesto, finishing with toppings from grilled chicken to roasted vegetables.
"From the very beginning, we wanted to create food that was approachable, fun and customisable – the same way our kids would ask for their meals at home,” Nichole adds.
The Schlebusch children are still very much involved today. They taste-test, give brutally honest feedback and sometimes even come up with new ideas for the menu or branding. "One of them even designed some of our early uniforms with our family catchphrases on them,” Morney says. "It’s very much a family business and having their fingerprints on it keeps Pizza Pasta Please authentic and true to its roots.”
For the Schlebusch family, food is about more than just eating - it’s about connection. "At Pizza Pasta Please, food is just the starting point - what we’re really creating is a sense of togetherness,” Morney explains.
"We treat our team like an extension of our family and we want every guest who walks through our doors to feel that same warmth and inclusiveness.”
The lively, interactive environment encourages diners to engage in the process of building their own meals, creating conversations, comparisons and plenty of laughter along the way.
What about the ultimate pizza or pasta combo? That question sparks a dinner-table debate every time. "Isaac is our wildcard. His go-to is pineapple, olives and pepperoni, but with absolutely no cheese. Nichole and I both agree on the No.19, which actually started as our own favourite ‘create your own’ combo and has now become one of our signature set menu items.
"Tayla, or ‘Tayla Payla’ as we call her, is all about the creamy comfort - cream sauce with bacon, chicken and our special P3 seasoning. Montanna leans into bold flavours, often pushing us to try creative combinations that end up inspiring new ideas for the menu.
"While Xavier - our in-house pizza base maker – is loyal to pasta, especially with chicken, mushrooms and cream sauce,” Morney says. The bottom line or crust? "If you asked us to agree on just one ultimate combo, the truth is we probably couldn’t. That’s exactly the point. Pizza Pasta Please is about giving everyone the freedom to enjoy their favourite, no matter how different.”
Morney and Nichole hope the legacy of Pizza Pasta Please goes far beyond fast food. "We want our children - and future generations - to see the power of building something with love, perseverance and purpose. More than a business, we hope they see a culture that values family, hard work and creating joy for others,” Nichole says.
