How this Pizza Pioneer is Building his Empire like an Athlete

Anthony Mangieri is founder of legendary NYC pizzaria Una Pizza Napoletana. Now with a frozen pizza line (Genio Della Pizza), he’s bringing big ideas to the industry with relentless hard work, authenticity, and strategic growth.

His journey involves a high level of grit and determination, and has built his pizza empire with the same discipline and sacrifice that an athlete dedicates to their sport, and has worked to limit distractions as much as possible.

Watch now to learn about an unorthodox approach to building a business, remaining true to goals, and building a scalable CPG brand.

#entrepreneur #toast #restaurantinfluencers #unapizza #geniodella

Chapters:

[01:59] - Opening a Bakery

[09:16] - The Origin of Una Pizza

[12:28] - Approaching Business Like an Athlete

[22:23] - All About Genio Della Pizza

[28:18] - Lessons Learned from Business

[38:36] - Instagram Storytelling Strategy

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

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OVATION WAS VOTED THE #1 GUEST FEEDBACK PLATFORM FOR RESTAURANTS —

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• Ovation Guest Feedback Platform

Episode Links:

Una Pizza Napoletana Online

Anthony Mangieri Instagram

Anthony Mangieri LinkedIn

Genio Della Pizza Online

Unboxing Genio Della Frozen Pizzas

Takeaways:

Athlete’s Approach to Business - Anthony Mangieri is a hard worker. He built his pizza empire by approaching it with the grit, determination, and sacrifices — just like an athlete. He passionately pursues his goals and limits distractions as much as possible.

Authenticity and Growth - Anthony Mangieri is bucking the tendency of most restaurant owners who want to grow as much as possible. He has found balance in remaining true to his initial goal of making Una Pizza a crown jewel of his brand, yet scaling his empire in a way that is profitable.

Building a Scalable CPG Brand - Anthony Mangieri launched Genio Della after his success with Una Pizza Napoletana. With a successful entry into the Consumer Product Goods (CPG) space, he advises restaurant owners to plan for scale from the beginning. That helps avoid having to redirect on the fly, and allows products to have a wider reach.

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ABOUT ANTHONY MANGIERI –

Anthony Mangieri is a pioneer of Neapolitan-style pizza in the United States. Growing up in a close-knit, Italian-American family in New Jersey, his pizza obsession began early, leading him to visit renowned pizzerias throughout the tri-state area. At 22, Anthony opened Sant Arsenio, a bread bakery in Red Bank, NJ, and three years later, Una Pizza Napoletana in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. Relocating to Manhattan's East Village in 2004, his pizzas received widespread acclaim. In 2010, he moved Una Pizza Napoletana to San Francisco, continuing to impress critics and enthusiasts. Returning to New York’s Lower East Side in 2018 and opening in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, in 2020, Anthony has consistently elevated his craft. Una Pizza Napoletana reopened on the Lower East Side in March 2022, earning the #1 spot on 50 Top Pizza’s 2022 global ranking and accolades from major media outlets like the TODAY Show, CBS Mornings, Esquire, and Michelin Guide.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Kim Malek, Meredith Sandland, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media