Pizza takeaway is experiencing a very prosperous period; let’s find out its evolution from the voice of the protagonists.
About delivery, how are you dealing with it? Have you introduced anything new, have you partnered with any delivery companies?
During this long pandemic period, pizza production has obviously dropped by almost 80%. Only at weekends there is a good recovery thanks to deliveries.
For delivery we have created ad hoc dough, which is different, less chewy and perfect to remain crispy during the time of delivery. We usually use dough that combines high hydration with the high Neapolitan crust and the crunchiness typical of Roman pizza.
As a delivery company we only rely on Uber Eats for now; we have good feedback and the platform works well.
Your pizzeria also stood out for the unusual focus on the combination with bubbly. How did the idea come about?
This choice is mainly due to the fact that we members are all very fond of bubbly, so we chose it as our only option. Drinking bubbly doesn’t bloat the stomach as people might think, and it’s ideal as pairing with various types of pizza on an organoleptic level. Even in delivery they proved to be successful; customers order them together with their pizzas. Alongside the well-known and famous names, we also promote lesser known but very valid labels, such as Anfisia from Cantine F.lli Lavorata Srl in Roccella Ionica RC, a blend of Guardavalle, Malvasia and Ansonica, native vines and organic cultivation.
About flour: do you usually use the same dough, the one you are most confident about, or do you like to take risks and try new mixes and solutions?
We are experimenters, we like to change and improve all the time. That’s why we always try new products. We usually use a mix of flour made of reinforced type 00, stone-ground type 0 and whole wheat. We always have two types of dough – even the classic one has a small part of whole wheat flour – that respond well in delivery.
Customer feedback: do you follow it? Do you look for it? Is it helpful to you? Can you accept criticism?I can accept criticism to some extent. It depends on the type of customer, there are those who are aware of the product they taste; in that case it comes naturally to follow suggestions. In fact, some customers gave me some ideas for pizza toppings and, after testing them, some suggestions turned out to be very good.
What is the best pizza you have ever tasted?
I remember a short time ago, before Covid, I tried Starita’s pizza in Materdei, Naples, by Antonio Starita. I tasted a fried pizza with ricotta, ciccioli, pepper and salami. I must admit that the ricotta di bufala inside was superlative, there was the right amount of pepper and salt. In short, a crispy and soft fried pizza, not at all greasy and heavy.
Eco-sustainability, zero kilometer, attention to waste etc… In your opinion, are these important values?
I would put these concepts exactly in the following order: first of all, attention to waste, precisely because it is a human issue; right after, promotion of the territory and of our products and, finally, the eco-sustainability of a working method.
Do you think everything will go back to the way it was, or will there be changes that will remain even after the pandemic is over?
There will certainly be changes: a new menu will be released in May including some new recipes that are more suitable to the warm season. There will be supplì allo scoglio and a reinterpretation of the classic Margherita; there will also be typical Neapolitan and Roman dishes reinterpreted, such as a special pasta omelet. I don’t want to anticipate too much, there are many other projects coming up! Our attention is obviously always focused on the search for high quality products linked to the territory. Also our wine list – which at the moment lists 100 labels including Franciacorta, Champagne, Classic Method and Fermented Sparkling Wines – will be even richer.
Please talk about a pizza of yours:
I introduce you to the best selling pizza, as well as my favorite one.
La Pizza 3 pomodori. A Margherita-like pizza with fiordilatte base and with three tomatoes in three different textures. A semi-dry cherry tomato sauce flavored with rosemary, a juice of yellow datterino and finally a red tomato blended like cream with garlic and oregano. Topped with raw Evo oil and fresh basil leaves.
