Story and Photos by Erica D’Arcangelo
Stepping out of the car during my second week in Italy, I took in the sea air. I was in one of my favorite places in the entire country: the city of Levanto, in the region of Liguria. To me, Levanto isn’t just a beach town in Italy. It holds cherished memories of trips that I’ve spent there with my family, lounging at the A Durmi Guest House, walking into town for coffee and croissants, looking out at the crystal-blue water as the waves crash against the sand, and riding bikes through the tunnels.
Levanto holds its own true Italian heart with the best experiences found off the main road, fading into a sun-drenched, sea-filled memory.
During this trip to Levanto, I was on a mission to find the best pizzeria. First, because I was hungry, but most importantly, I needed a great place to film an episode of my podcast. To be honest, it wasn’t challenging. La Picea was the clear winner. My family has been enjoying pizzas there for the better part of a decade.
Each year we arrived at the restaurant, we saw it grow fuller and fuller with trophies commemorating pizza championships won by the current owner, Riccardo La Rosa.
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La Picea Isn’t Just Pizza, It’s an Experience
Eating pizza at La Picea isn’t just about the care they take to give you the perfect pie. It’s a marketing lesson on how the details of a place can sell you on that pizzeria forever.
La Picea is a family-owned pizzeria, and Riccardo La Rosa is the founder’s son. He has won the World Pizza Championship’s Classic Pizza category, the Triathlon Award, the Parmigiano Award and the European Pizza Championship while also earning La Picea a spot in the 50 Top Pizza Guide—to name a few honors.
When you walk into the restaurant, you see wall-to-wall awards, but most importantly, you see the entire family rallying around Riccardo and working together in the shop. His beautiful wife was our waitress, and his father was there managing the nightly operations.
Related: Erica D’Arcangelo shares her family’s pizza story on Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast
Marketing Pizza: Atmosphere, Family, and History
What makes La Picea truly special isn’t just the pie—it’s the story they’re telling, and they’re promoting that story loud and clear, right in the dining room. You walk in, and immediately, the brand is visual.
It’s in the deliberate setup of the dining room, the huge, wonderful picture of the La Rosa family that reminds you this is a legacy business, and the menu that champions their ethos. Even the glass partition showing Riccardo in the kitchen, lost in his element making pizzas, is a piece of genius marketing. This isn’t a scripted ad; it’s a living, breathing experience.
They don’t have to write their mission statement on the wall—it’s in the details, and it makes you immediately want to know their history, be part of their tradition, and sit down for a slice of the story.
There is no question about who they are and what they represent.
As soon as we sat down, Riccardo was hard at work creating a masterpiece for us: his favorite pizza (pictured below) with the “nectar of the gods,” as he liked to call it—fresh pesto from Liguria, mozzarella, ripe tomatoes and pine nuts. It’s truly one of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten. As I sat down with him for the podcast, I saw how passionate he was about making pizza and how dedicated he was to making the best pizza in the world.
Elevating the Pie: Your Blueprint for Pizza Experience Marketing
The success of a pizzeria like La Picea is a masterclass in experience marketing, whether you’re in Italy or the United States. Here are some takeaways:
- Food, Then Family, Then Legacy. Use your amazing food to drive people into your business. Then showcase legacy and family. If your business is family-owned and operated, make that clearly visible by showing it through generations working together. You can even dedicate a family wall in your business.Â
- Show Your Craft. Whether it’s a glass wall where customers can see you make the pizza magic happen or through social media videos, show yourself making pizza. Connect your face to your brand. Let people see the pizzaiolo/pizzaiola and artisan that you are. Do this with unwavering confidence.
- Celebrate Your Business Achievements. Whether it’s a ribbon cutting with the Better Business Bureau or a pizza competition championship, promote your achievements to your audience through social media. This can include excellent reviews, awards and even trophies.Â
- Push Mission and Passion and Pizza. Consider your menu and pizza shop a blank canvas. Add your personal story to the back of the menu along with some cherished family pictures. If you’re sourcing locally, promote it and collaborate with the farm or market. Train your staff to talk about your history, menu curation and ingredients. Create not just a meal for the people you serve, but an experience.
Honor Your Ingredients, History and Pizza
Experience marketing is a testament to the fact that when you honor your ingredients and your tradition, you can create magic, whether you’re in Pennsylvania or the Italian Riviera.
La Picea is a wonderful, authentic place that lets you sink into Italian life and reminds you that the best stories—and the best food—are often found in the places that value tradition above all else. By leveraging experience marketing, you can do this with your pizzeria. Ciao!
Erica D’Arcangelo is a content creator, author, and storyteller specializing in Italian heritage and food culture. Known for developing the viral digital brand for her family’s legacy business, D’Arc’s Pizza, which opened in 1960, Erica is the author of the bestselling book, A Story About Pizza. She has also released a children’s book series on Italian culture and pizza with the titles: Pietro’s Pizza, Pietro’s Pizza Toppings, and Pietro’s Italian Christmas. She is also the host of the Pizza Story Podcast, where she interviews family-owned pizzerias, talented pizzaiolos from across the world, and artisans who are keeping Italian culture and tradition alive. Her work centers on the enduring power of family and authentic Italian food. You can contact Erica directly by email at [email protected] or through her website: www.astoryaboutpizza.com. You can also download her pizza marketing guide here: A Story About Marketing Pizza Guide.
