ws_daily_archives February 26 2026

How Roberto Franzoni stood out with quality pizza in Latvia   Bella Napoli opened in March 2024 in the centre of Riga, between the Old Town and the elegant Art Nouveau districts, in one of the most vibrant and international areas of the Latvian capital. Here, tourists, Nordic professionals, and an increasingly quality-conscious local clientele come together.We meet Roberto Franzoni, the owner of the pizzeria: “My story in Riga began over 25 years ago. I moved here when my son was born.”Roberto came to the restaurant business after an entrepreneurial career in real estate and marketing. There was no family tradition, only a passion for Italian cuisine and a simple initial idea: a small pizzeria that could grow over time. Within just a few months, however, the project took on a more ambitious scale.     The choice of the Neapolis oven With continuous opening hours from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and peaks of 50–60 pizzas per hour, the oven was a decisive choice. Roberto entrusted Moretti Forni and the Neapolis 6 after observing its performance in person.“I watched it carefully in operation at another restaurant and came to the conclusion: this is the oven for us.”The consistency ensured by its tireless power is the key element.“Even though it stays on all day, it always maintains consistent quality.”And on the busiest evenings:“The way it reacts when it starts handling many bakes one after another… the oven responds perfectly.”Stable temperature, uniform results, identical quality from the first to the last pizza.Neapolis guarantees the performance customers expect, with the cleanliness and ease of management of an electric oven.     The number one pizzeria in Riga “We created a pizza that sits in between, a bit crispier, but it’s not Roman-style and not as voluminous as contemporary pizza.”Bella Napoli positions itself as a gourmet pizzeria focused exclusively on pizza, with ingredients almost entirely imported from Italy.“I have excellence — for me, that is the standard.”Today, it is the number one pizzeria among more than 1,500 restaurant businesses in Riga, and its inclusion in the 50 Top Pizza Europa 2025 further strengthens its prestige.     The vision of a new business During SIGEP 2026, at the Moretti Forni stand, Roberto discovered the potential of the T series and shared his clear idea:“I would like to create a format that can be replicated quickly, that is standardised, with the great advantage of having staff who are not highly specialised yet can always deliver an excellent product.”A selection of signature pizzas starting from high-quality pre-baked finished with the Refining® process, with centralised production and scalable development.   We ask him: If you could go back, would you make the same choices again? Roberto answers firmly: “Absolutely!”    In Riga, Bella Napoli has become a benchmark thanks to precise choices: raw materials, entrepreneurial vision, and an oven capable of guaranteeing precision, consistency, and reliability, day after day.

17 locations in Italy, 800,000 pizzas baked, 500,000 burgers served, 300,000 bruschettas and over 1,200,000 pints of beer poured.​ ​ Today we share highlights from the interview with Paolo Branchetti, founder of GiustoSpirito, Massimiliano Barca, Operations Manager, together with Mario Moretti, CEO of Moretti Forni.   Founded in 2010 in Rubiera, GiustoSpirito combines an artisan brewery and restaurant into a single format.​A business that has grown steadily over time and now counts 17 brew-restaurants across Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Romagna, with a strong identity that blends beer, Italian cuisine and conviviality into a unique experience.     What is your product philosophy?​P. Branchetti: We are an artisan brewery with a strong focus on quality. Our beer is neither filtered nor pasteurised, so it’s a product that must be stored and handled with great care. Everything related to food – pizza, burgers, dishes – follows the same philosophy: high-quality products, as artisanal and distinctive as possible, just like our beer recipes.     How did you choose Moretti Forni?​P. Branchetti: Over the years we tested many solutions: stone top, stone bottom, heating elements, different systems. Only about six years ago did we find the definitive solution. We mainly use S series for pizza and T series for other products, because we don’t do pizza alone: we also prepare burgers, meat and full restaurant dishes. Oven versatility is essential.     What role does technology play in managing a chain?​M. Moretti: Two elements are crucial: ease of use and repeatability. Technology must allow every operator to achieve the same result in a short time. The complex part is handled at company level. This way, people working in the restaurants can use the equipment easily. It’s also essential to be able to remotely monitor the equipment and intervene from a distance, to always guarantee the same level of quality.     How important are people in your model, and how do you balance quality and quantity in a chain?​M. Barca: People are central. Standardisation is essential, but without people who believe in the project and work carefully every day, it doesn’t work. Quality comes from the product, but also from the people who prepare it. ​ As for balancing quality and quantity, you need two things: procedures and people. Everything must be written down and replicable, but you also need people who put it into practice every day – along with, of course, high-quality ingredients.