Our Story
In the aftermath of the War, Emmanuele Cauchi, seeing the changes all around him, thought of opening business in the heart of Mosta, the Pjazza, where most of the local business was and still is generated. Appropriately so, during the late 1940’s he got hold of part of the premises in Triq il-Kbira, corner with Pjazza Rotunda, and opened up the place for the first time. Being a renowned Barber and Tailor he enjoyed good business for years, distinguishing himself for the perfect tailoring of hundreds of men’s caps, known better as the Maltese Beritta, which was worn traditionally back then.
When Emmanuele passed away in 1964, his son Joseph, himself having a different profession, kept the shop closed for a number of years, despite receiving a good number of tempting offers by various businessmen to give up the place. Recognising the prime location’s value, he waited for the right opportunity to reopen and involve his sons in the venture.
This possibility came in 1969, when Joseph, with the help of his three sons Raymond, John and Stephen reopened the place as a Stationery and Bookshop. This new operate, which proved to be very successful, brought Joseph to think about purchasing the entire building and renovating the shop. The year 1977 saw the revitalising of the edifice with new modern shop windows and a more open floor space, consequence of which the business kept on flourishing even better.
Ever seeing the need for development, he discussed with the tenants residing on the upper floor about the possibility of them moving house. A length of years had to pass for an agreement to be reached to make way for Cauchi’s to enlarge the place.
This time it was decided to go further than just improve the premises up. Since the building itself was quite old, a decision was taken to demolish the whole structure and rebuild it with a more modern design. After finding a temporary site next door, from where Cauchi’s could operate, the site was knocked down in 1986 and rebuilt with an extra two floors.
Having now acquired so much floor space it was agreed to expand into the catering business and transform the upper floors into the first cafeteria and restaurant in Mosta – Pjazza Cafe. With the courteous service, extensive menu and the dominating views of the Mosta Dome and Pjazza, this new development proved to be a success.
In 1994, when yet another opportunity came about for the buying of the adjoining property and double the floor space, Cauchi’s immediately grasped the circumstances, fully understanding the potential benefits. This new enlargement incurred the complete redecorating and revamping of all the floors.
Evermore continuous with our motto of constant development and expansion, along with the need to branch and diversify the businesses, Cauchi’s had decided in 1980 to break into the field of Photography and Film Processing. Keeping determinately apace with the continuous technological developments required huge investment in various machines to make it possible to offer a good and effective service. A 30-minute film developing service was introduced, which proved to be a success, especially with tourists.
In 2003, since the photo printing business was flourishing, it was decided to shut down the restaurant on the uppermost floor at Cauchi’s and open a Film Processing shop. At the time, digital photography was starting to take over film photography, and we adapted our business by further investing in new equipment. Skylab Digital Imaging was introduced. The floor space allowed for the set-up of a photo studio and further machinery to provide new services such as large format printing, and professional printing.
In 2008, the possibility came about to further expand the Stationery shop by taking over another adjacent premises. This new extension is used solely for books, making it possible to offer a wider range of books from children’s books, paperbacks to more specific topics. This also freed up space in the shop, making it possible to introduce new services such as document printing and binding, coinciding with an increasing demand at the time.
Overall, the Cauchi family’s journey is a testament to the importance of adaptability, strategic vision, and embracing change in the world of business. The story reflects a successful balance between tradition and innovation, ensuring the business remains relevant and prosperous across generations.
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