The large screen in the corner of the new premises of Pizza Zulu Limited on Lorenzer Straße 5 shows 300 pizzas remaining. People are already waiting in front of the new store in downtown Nuremberg. From Monday to Friday, Gaspare Squitieri opens the doors here at 11:30 AM. Arguably the most well-known and decorated pizza maker in the region, he is breaking new ground with the new concept of Pizza Zulu Limited.
Since 2012, he has been baking Neapolitan pizza in Fürth. He now operates two restaurants, conducts pizza workshops, and owns an Italian wholesale business. But that's no longer enough for Squitieri. "I have a huge problem," he explains, "as soon as I achieve a goal, I automatically seek a new one." Constant progression is essential for him as a restaurateur. Of course, he acknowledges, this is only possible because his family provides incredible support in managing the restaurants, he humbly concludes.
Here on Lorenzer Straße, you might say the past, future, and present converge: Alongside the currently booming pizza sales, Squitieri has set up an arcade room next door where you can play Pac-Man or foosball. However, this nostalgia is not an end in itself—the pizza maker misses the communal meetings and games “just like we used to have in my day” among today's youth. As a guest and customer, you have access to the arcade room during the pizza bar's opening hours, or you can rent it by the hour otherwise.
Beyond the games next door, more electronics are part of the restaurateur's new patented concept: a vending machine shop offering everything from chocolate bars to energy drinks, as well as high-quality canned tomatoes to pizza dough. Once the day's pizzas are sold out, a rolling shutter comes down to seal off the pizza bar. The rest, namely the vending machine shop and arcade room, remain open.
12:03 PM, 250 pizzas remaining.
Squitieri explains that you can rent out the entire shop, including the kitchen and pizza bar, “for a cooking event or a party, for example.” Catering with pizza is, of course, possible, according to the restaurateur, “From an hour of arcade to pizza and champagne, anything goes.”
“Yesterday, we sold out after three hours, that's why we've turned off the delivery services today,” Squitieri states matter-of-factly, pointing to the Lieferando terminal. They'll probably “sell out again today”—and if not, “no stress.” “Fewer sales don't matter; quality is what counts,” the pizza maker asserts.
When asked about the three Vespas in the shop window as decorations, he starts to chuckle, speaking about “my Vespas.” Starting in mid-August, these iconic Italian scooters will be used to deliver pizzas in the surrounding area—in addition to the delivery services that primarily cover the more distant neighborhoods. The target number of 300 pizzas was not chosen randomly. “Experience from other shops is a major factor,” says Squitieri, “in Fürth, we sometimes sell 700 pizzas in 5 hours.”
To ensure that other cities can also enjoy one of the best pizzas in the world, he will only oversee the Nuremberg location for 14 days before opening a new one elsewhere. Last October, his pizza won the "Top 50 Pizza" award again for the best pizza in Germany. Across Europe, the Fürth establishment ranked 6th, and globally, it came in 34th.
His patented concept of vending machines, arcade, and pizza bar is set to expand to all cities in the region with more than 80,000 residents. He has hinted that the next opening is likely to be nearby: preparations in Erlangen are reportedly the most advanced. Which other cities are on Squitieri's list can be read here.
These franchises are designed to produce equally good pizza everywhere, thanks in part to training from the pizza expert. And this offering is well-received. As I leave the store, the counter shows 236 pizzas still available. More than 60 pizzas have been sold in just one hour - or simply put, one pizza per minute.