By Sofia Arango, Latinos en Pizza
Editor’s note: The following article is an expanded version of a profile featured in PMQ’s September 2025 cover story, Latinos en Pizza: 10 Wildly Talented Latino Pizza Chefs to Watch.
“I had never made pizza before, but the moment I put my hands on the dough…it just felt natural.” That’s how Francis Murillo Di Mattia—a Venezuelan architect turned pizzaiola—describes her first encounter with a craft that, while new to her, seemed to have been waiting for her all along.
Di Mattia’s story isn’t the typical one of inherited tradition. It’s the story of a woman determined to build something special to call her own.
Before founding Pia’s Not Just Pizza in Miami, Di Mattia had already proven her entrepreneurial spirit back in Venezuela, where she opened a laser-cutting business straight out of architecture school. But, like many forced to leave their home country, her path changed course. She chose Miami—where her family had already settled—and decided to start something rooted in her Italian heritage.
“We chose Italian food because of our roots. My mom’s whole side of the family is Italian,” she explains. Though she had no formal culinary training, Di Mattia quickly discovered that some knowledge lives in your bones. “I watched videos, read a lot, practiced…but there was something deeper. The dough understood me, and I understood it.”
The real test came on opening day. Expecting a modest turnout of friends and family, Di Mattia was overwhelmed when more than 200 people showed up. “I had never made that many pizzas, never managed kitchen timing like that. That day, I realized how much I didn’t know. It forced us to rethink everything—not just pizza-making, but the entire operation.”
Since then, Pia’s has grown steadily, serving up to 400 guests on busy days without losing its intimate touch.
Di Mattia describes herself as a perfectionist—meticulous and deeply fair. She believes in warm, respectful service and the small, human gestures that make people feel at home. Pia’s has become a welcoming space for Miami’s diverse Latino community—Venezuelans, Cubans, Dominicans—but it has also won the hearts of Americans and Italians alike. “What unites us is our love for pizza,” she says. “And with a smile, we all understand each other, no matter the language or culture.”
Her favorite creation is the Pia’s Pizza, a house signature born from instinct. “It was one of the rare moments I didn’t overthink. I just followed a feeling,” she says. The pizza features prosciutto, fresh arugula, buffalo mozzarella, a balsamic reduction, and extra virgin olive oil—a balanced combination with elegance and soul. “It’s strange for me to act on impulse. But that pizza…it came together on its own. As if it already knew who I was.”
Di Mattia dreams of entering competitions, winning awards, expanding her business, and putting Pia’s Not Just Pizza on the global map. She’s also excited about the rise of Latino pizzaiolos who are shaping the future of the industry. “We bring so much flavor, so much story. I see an amazing future for those of us building this from the global South.”
Still, for Di Mattia, the greatest prize is something more personal: “That feeling of home. A bite that tastes like nonna’s. That’s what truly matters.”
Sofia Arango is the founder of Latinos en Pizza, a network of leaders who are transforming the pizza industry in the U.S. and Latin America. She was PMQ Pizza’s guest editor for the Latinos en Pizza report for 2025. Click here to read it.
