A Sicilian family who poured their life savings into opening a food truck in Edinburgh has gone viral on social media after appealing for customers.
Mizzica Sicilian Deli, which launched in January, operates from a food truck located at the north entrance of Cameron Toll Shopping Centre. Serving traditional Sicilian cuisine made from scratch, the Pennini family’s dream venture offers a variety of treats, from savoury dishes to sweets and authentic Italian coffee, reports EdinburghLive.
Despite their passion and experience—having worked in hospitality for 45 years—the family struggled to attract customers during their first month of operation. Without a budget for marketing, they turned to social media with a heartfelt plea that quickly captured public attention.
In a TikTok post that has amassed over 161,000 views and nearly 13,000 likes in just 24 hours, the family shared their story: “We’re the Pennini family, and we’ve opened a food truck at Cameron Toll, Edinburgh. Every morning, we cook our Sicilian recipes from scratch, and we hope you’ll come and try them soon. We’ve invested all our savings into this dream, but not many people know about us yet. Why not stop by? We have delicious sweets, savoury dishes, and authentic Italian coffee!”
Another video explained the journey behind the food truck: “After working for 45 years in hospitality, our friends convinced us to give it a try and open something of our own. We decided to leave our secure jobs and invest all our savings into this dream.
“Our first month has passed, and unfortunately, not many people know about us yet. It’s quite hard to start a family business without being able to rely on marketing or ads, and we are scared. But this morning, just like every morning, we got up early to prepare our Sicilian delights from scratch. We hope to meet some of you today!”
The family’s earnest appeal was met with overwhelming support from locals and beyond. Hundreds of people flooded the comments with encouragement, pledging to visit or share the word.
One commenter wrote: “I just sent this to all of my friends that live nearby. One of them already said she’ll stop by on her next Sainsbury’s shop. Myself and my friends love supporting local businesses—wishing you every success!”
Another added: “My husband works nearby—he’s going to pop over next time he’s buying lunch.”
Some supporters even offered to travel from further afield, with one saying: “What time are you open? I’ll come over from Glasgow to support!”
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 8am to 4pm, the food truck serves dishes inspired by classic Sicilian ingredients like eggplant, tomatoes, olives, and capers. The Pennini family remains hopeful that their newfound viral fame will help bring more people to enjoy their homemade Sicilian delicacies.
Someone penned: “I just sent this to all of my friends that live nearby and one of them got back already to say she’s going to pop by when she does her regular Sainsbury’s shop. Myself and my friends love to support local businesses and I really hope you do well and are very successful. I wish you all the best.”
Another posted: “My husband works nearby. Next time he is buying his lunch he is going to pop around.”
One person even offered to drive in from Glasgow, saying: “What time are you open? I’ll come over from Glasgow to support.”
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