19 May 2025
By James Mullan
Crows Nest and St Leonards get yet another slice of the action with the arrival of Divide Eight, the latest pizza venture from seasoned hospitality veteran Peter Augoustis. Known for his role in building the Crust Pizza empire, Augoustis’s new eatery promises an “edgy, bespoke” pizza experience unlike any other.
Divide Eight, a name with a story behind it, represents Augoustis’ philosophy and his favorite number, eight, also represents the slices in a pizza. “We put a whole story behind that,” Augoustis explains. They are set on creating pizzas that are chef-inspired, using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and innovative techniques.
Unlike traditional Italian or franchise pizzas, Divide Eight aims to fill a unique niche. “We want to stay away from that frozen franchise,” Augoustis told the Sun, emphasising the extra effort they put into each pizza. From fried capers and freshly cut pineapple to in-house marinated lamb, every ingredient is thoughtfully prepared, and trust us, you can taste it!
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The menu is far from ordinary. Among the highlights is the “Marrickville Mercedes,” a Greek lamb pizza marinated with preserved lemons and fresh herbs, inspired by local Sydney slang. Then there’s the “Pepperoni Squared,” a pepperoni lover’s dream with double the pepperoni and a touch of homemade chili. Vegans aren’t left out, with the “Next Mex” offering an avocado salsa and chipotle aioli delight. Other mouthwater options include Chilli Prawn, Prosciutto Truffle Honey and the Pumpkin Tahini.
Check out their full menu here: https://divide8.com.au/our-menu/
Augoustis’s journey in the food industry actually started on the North Shore decades ago when he opened up ‘Melt’, a pizzeria just across the road the Oaks, Neutral Bay. After years of serving up the good stuff the opportunity to be one of the co-founders of Crust Pizza came up, which grew from eight to 120 stores in just five years.
With Crust dominating that gourmet take away pizza scheme Augoustis together with fellow Crust founder Costa Anastasiadis and the Pony Dining Group, created Zeus Street Greek. It was an instant hit and now boasts 40 stores Australia wide.
His next opportunity arose when Surry Hills favourite Lil Darlin bar was up for sale due to the downturn of business during the construction of the light rail. Augoustis bought the place and immediately turned it around, helped by the opening of the light rail and his long experience in the hospitality game.
Building on this success, Augoustis has returned to his North Shore roots with a new venture. Recognising a market gap in Crows Nest, he acquired the former ‘Mac n Gs’ site on Willoughby Road. This location marks the second outpost for his Lil Darlin brand, situated just a short distance from where his career in hospitality first commenced.
Strolling down the road to Albany St, St Leonards, Augoustis found the perfect site for his then growing pizza franchise Divide 8, opening the site a couple of months ago on the old ‘Fin’ store front.
“We’re quirky in how we do our menus. We do what we like and we sort of set our own path,” Augoustis says. 20+ years on from serving up his first slice on the North Shore Peter Aquoustis is back offering high quality pizzas and creative flavors at Divide 8.