Lecture Notes: Enzo Coccia and Pizzeria La Notizia

Introduction

• Location: Via Michelangelo da Caravaggio, 53, 80126 Napoli NA, Italy
  • 20 minutes by car from the center of Naples
  • Open Tuesday through Sunday (7:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.)
  • Closed on Monday
• Pricing: Pizzas range from €7 to €12
• Ingredients: Uses the best ingredients from the Campania region for lightness and digestibility
• Chef Enzo Coccia: Named Ambassador of Italian Food Culture in 2018

Background

• Family History: Enzo Coccia's grandmother had a trattoria; his father added a pizzeria around the 1950s
• Personal History:
  • Worked with family as a child
  • Opened La Notizia in 1994
  • Over 30 years of operation in a non-residential, non-tourist area of Naples

Professional Growth

• Started with the Real Pizza Association
• Opened his own company in 2000
  • Created Pizza Consulting to expand the Neapolitan pizza scene globally

Current Operations

• Family Business: Sons Andrea and Marco, aged 29 and 25, work with him
• Concept of Family: Despite occasional clashes, working with family brings joy

Philosophy on Neapolitan Pizza

• Represents life, identity, and culture of Naples
• Historical context: Born towards the end of the 17th century, 57 pizzerias in Naples by early 1800s
• Recognized globally for its cultural and appetitive satisfaction

Secret to Success

• 3 Qs: Quality of Ingredient, Quality of Colleagues, Quality of Customers
  • Synergy between customer and pizzeria
• Significant accomplishments and recognition, including:
  • Documentary with an American actor in Los Angeles
  • Featured in the Wall Street Journal (1997) and New York Times (2008)
  • Presidential recognition

Advice and Conclusion

• Enthusiasm and Love: Never lose enthusiasm, love, and desire for your work
• Notable Visitors: Many famous people, including Maradona, have visited the pizzeria
• Specialties: The "wagon wheel" pizza, notably the Margherita (€14)

Final Demonstration

• Enzo Coccia demonstrates how to make the "wagon wheel" pizza