Independent Operators

It all began as a food truck: Pupatella poised for growth with $7.5M in capital

Pupatella, which began as a food truck, now has five stores in the Arlington, Virginia area. The company plans to open 10 to 15 stores in the next few years.

Provided

January 31, 2022

Pupatella Neapolitan Pizza was launched as a food truck in Arlington, Virginia, in 2007 by Enzo Algarme, a native of Italy, and his wife Anastasiya.

The brand serves up AVPN-certified pizza in their five brick-and-mortar locations, the first of which opened in 2010. Pupatella has raised $7.5 million in capital and plans to open at least 15 restaurants in the next several years. Pizza Marketplace talked to Algarme via email to learn more about Pupatella's planned expansion and what sets the company apart from its competitors.

Q:Pupatella started as a food truck. How did you know you were ready to open a brick-and-mortar location?

A: Pupatella was so well received by our customers we knew that opening a brick-and-mortar location would be the right next step. It also allowed us the space to further develop recipes, our custom gelato program, and continue to improve the quality of the food.

Q: Pupatella recently received financing of $7.5 million. What's the plan for expansion?

A:We are so grateful and excited that our investors have stood with us through the pandemic and continue to share our vision for growth. We are focused on building 10 to 15 new locations over the next several years. Our planned expansion is focused in the Virginia, D.C., and Maryland areas.

Q: Will franchising be available, or are those strictly corporate-owned stores? How many units are open? How many are planned for the near future?

A: We are continuing to focus on corporate expansion during this round of development. Currently Pupatella has five pizzerias open with two additional pizzerias opening very soon. We have several other locations in various stages of development. We plan to open an additional 10-15 pizzerias.

Q: You recently brought on a team of executives to help grow the brand. What do they bring to the table?

A:Our partners are experienced in restaurant growth and raising capital. They have an immense knowledge in real estate, construction, finance, supply chain and operations. They respect and maintain the existing recipes, food, and culture that we have established and together we know our expansion will be successful without compromising what Pupatella stands for.

Q: To what do you credit Pupatella's success?

A: We think our success can be attributed to authenticity, passion, hard work and great communities. While remaining focused on making pizza the way it has been made for over 150 years in Naples.

Q: What's going to be your top challenge as you grow the brand, and how are you combating that?

A: The top challenge is always finding the best people who are passionate about our food, culture, and are focused on bringing the best experience to our guests.

Q: What's the most important lesson you took away from your first store?

A: The restaurant industry is tough and requires passion and long hours. You have to be continually focused on the quality and consistency of what you are serving every single day.

Q:How has the pandemic affected Pupatella's growth?

A: The pandemic was probably the most difficult time we have ever experienced in the restaurant industry. For Pupatella, we were very fortunate to be able to shift rather seamlessly to takeout. We however continue to face ongoing supply chain issues, as does the rest of the industry, involving equipment and construction materials. It's played into our rollout of new pizzerias but we are making the best of it and charging forward!

Q:Why is authenticity important to Pupatella?

A: We started Pupatella because I could not find the type of pizza I grew up with in Naples and I wanted people to experience the same pizza that I fell in love with, so authenticity and tradition will always be the guiding principles for Pupatella.