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Within just a few months of opening its first gelateria before Christmas, Gold Coast-based hospitality company Gemelli Group is set to open its sixth venue with a new casual eatery in the city's northern suburb of Carrara.
Named in honour of the founders' grandfather Rolando, affectionately nicknamed ‘Rolly', their latest passion project Papa Rolly's is a nod to the man who connected the Carney brothers to the flavours and culture of the Abruzzo region and Italy as a whole.
The new 120sqm venue will offer signature handmade Italian food in a fresh, casual, and family-friendly setting, with the name and concept inspired by the group's earlier forays into a food truck with the same name in 2016.
Co-founder Alec Carney hopes Papa Rolly's will create a neighbourhood community eatery that aligns with the ethics of the family and business, with aims to match the impact that Roy’s by Gemelli’s has had on Sorrento.
"Our Nonno, Rolly was the person who really introduced us to our cultural ties to Italy and opened our hearts to our connection to a region, Abruzzo and our stomachs to the joys of Italian cuisine," says Carney, one of three brothers from Griffith in NSW who founded the company and were featured in the recently published 2025 Australia's Top 100 Young Entrepreneurs list.
"Papa Rolly’s is one of our more family friendly restaurants to-date, where we will be bringing authentic, handmade Italian cuisine to Carrara where we have the opportunity to create an entire eating experience.
"Our goal is to celebrate Italian culture at Papa Rolly’s in celebration of our Nonno and due to this connection I can assure you that we will be working our hardest to provide food and create an atmosphere that he would love."
The eatery will open its doors on 8 April, followed by an exclusive invite-only lunch at the venue the following day for the Gold Coast's business community and media.
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