POLICE will investigate whether business friction - or possibly an extortion attempt - is behind a gun terror campaign against a top pizza chef.

Three Woodstock restaurants operated by champion pizza maker Tony Cannata were sprayed with bullets in an hour of drive-by mayhem on Wednesday night.

His Woodstocks in Fitzroy North and Brunswick East were peppered with gunshots.

An Essendon outlet, yet to open, was also blasted by up to seven shots.

Mr Cannata, recently named Australia's champion pizza maker, is a respected figure on the restaurant scene.

A firearms expert said he believed the Essendon shop had been hit with bullets from a .45 calibre handgun.

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Detectives from the armed crime taskforce have been called in to investigate.

"Whatever it is, the motive or the message, we've still got to work through that,'' taskforce boss Detective Inspector Adrian Dalzotto said.

Mr Cannata was seen talking to police outside his Nicholson St, Fitzroy, pizzeria, alongside two people believed to be relatives, including his mother.

He later told the Herald Sun his family was deeply distressed by the shootings.

But he would not comment on claims someone was trying to extort money from him.

"It's under police investigation,'' he said.

"We're very upset.''

media_camera Woodstock Pizza group owner Tony Cannata is a champion pizza maker. Picture: Jake Nowakowski.

Businessman Tony Khoury denied that he was a silent partner in the Fitzroy Woodstock.

Mr Khoury said he was godfather to Mr Cannata's son and that they were firm friends.

"Tony's an absolute gentleman. We're good mates. There's no friction at all," he said. "It's (the shooting) got nothing to do with ganglands. It's got nothing to do with myself. It's a cowardly act."

Mr Khoury said he had spoken to Mr Cannata about what had happened.

Tony's brother John, an associate of Mick Gatto, said Tony's connection had been overplayed.

"He just goes there every now and then and is mates (with the owner)," John said.

media_camera A screengrab of a dual-cab ute driving past one of the pizza shops that was shot at. Picture: Channel 7

media_camera A screengrab of a dual-cab ute driving past one of the pizza shops that was shot at. Picture: Channel 7

He complained that Woodstock didn't use pineapple on pizzas.

"I go to Lygon St - Florentines, the European."

Gatto also rejected reports connecting him to Woodstock.

"It's nothing to do with me," Gatto said.

"I can't eat there. They don't do pineapple on their pizzas. I like pineapple," Gatto said.

Residents reported hearing shots fired into the Fitzroy North restaurant just after 11pm on Wednesday.

The Woodstock Pizzicheria on Lygon St, in Carlton, was shot at a short time later.

mark.buttler@news.com.au