40under40 Winner - Albasio La Pegna

It has been said that opening a restaurant is one of the riskiest investments to undertake.

Over 13 years Albasio La Pegna has created four successful restaurants in Perth –Belissimo Café, Pronto, Funtastico, and Zaffareno in Crawley.

These accomplishments have made the restaurateur eligible for the Prix D’Onour, which is the knighthood of the restaurant world in Western Australia. Only winners of three consecutive Gold Plate Awards are eligible for this award and there have been very few winners in the past.

Mr La Pegna has achieved strong customer support in Claremont, Subiaco and now Crawley. There is obviously something about Mr La Pegna’s style that brings people back. 

Whether it is the style of service, the gourmet food, fabulous wine or the great locations, he is onto a winner.

Mr La Pegna says good ideas and a belief to see them through are the main reasons for his entrepreneurial success. His success in business has been realised through passion and by following dreams rather than chasing money.  His motto is “feel what you do and do what you feel”.

Mr La Pegna is one of the founders and is an ongoing member of the Saffron Association of the World. The association has helped increased world recognition of this amazing spice.

His latest restaurant, Zafferano, overlooks the Swan River and has a predominantly seafood-based menu. 

Mr La Pegna remains very hands-on in the operation of the business. His daily responsibilities involve managing the total operation, from the quality of the food and wine to customer service.