The Atlanta Pizza Truck has made history by becoming the first mobile pizzeria to be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the Italy-based organization that gives the stamp of approval to Neapolitan pizza makers around the world.
In the past, AVPN would only certify brick-and-mortar pizzerias making classic Neapolitan pizzas, but Atlanta Pizza Truck owner Alessio Lacco, a Naples native, wouldn’t take no for an answer. And his persistence paid off.
“Being from Naples, I’m very particular about the kind of pizza I want to give to customers,” Lacco said. “The truck is from Italy, the oven is from Italy, the ingredients we use for our Neapolitan pizza are from Italy. I asked AVPN, why can’t we be associated with you guys? Now is the time to start recognizing mobile pizza makers. They saw the world is evolving and said yes.”
Atlanta Pizza Truck’s certification number is 900, which Lacco points out is the exact temperature in which an authentic Neapolitan pizza is baked.
Lacco had studied with AVPN before moving to America and opening his first certified pizzeria in Dallas. He was a Neapolitan pizza consultant to chefs around the world before arriving in Atlanta in 2017.
Lacco lost his job as a pizza maker during the pandemic, so he and his wife and business partner, Sofia Arango, decided it was time to go out on their own again.
They had purchased the vintage Piaggo ApeCar three-wheeler in 2019 planning to someday to start their own mobile pizzeria. They sourced and mounted the wood-fired oven to the back of the truck, installed a sink, and started popping up in neighborhoods and using social media as a marketing tool.Atlanta Pizza Truck was an instant hit, and in less than two years has become a favorite at festivals, pop-ups, weddings, private parties, and corporate events. “It’s really become popular now,” Lacco said. “We are doing so many parties and have so much fun.”
Lacco said he’s proud that he can connect his home country to his adopted city and “bring a true Neapolitan pizza and experience to Atlanta.”
Credit: Atlanta Intown
Credit: Atlanta Intown
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