Exorbitant prices

Briatore’s pizza for the rich causes a stir in Italy

Flavio Briatore in his "Crazypizza" restaurant in Monaco, which he opened in 2020.

(Bild: www.photopress.at)

The best pizza in the world can be found in Naples, that is the unanimous opinion of the pizzaioli, the city's pizza bakers. However, plans by former Formula 1 entrepreneur Flavio Briatore to introduce a "luxury pizza" there are now causing an uproar.

Alongside the marinara pizza, the simple Margherita pizza is the most popular choice among Neapolitans. You can usually get a Margherita pizza for just four euros in the pizzerias in the city center. For Flavio Briatore, however, the world looks different. The 74-year-old entrepreneur, who is known for his exclusive restaurants in Sardinia and Monte Carlo, announced the opening of a branch of his "Crazy Pizza" restaurant chain on Wednesday.

In these jet-set eateries, which already have branches on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, in London, Rome and recently in Milan, the basic version, the Margherita pizza alone, costs 17 euros, which is considered too expensive by Italian standards. Depending on the ingredients, the price list goes up to 65 euros - if you order the flatbread with Spanish pata negra ham. The entrepreneur also has caviar sprinkled on his extravagant pizzas.

Critics complain that the price is far too high
Neapolitan pizza makers accuse Briatore of having created a completely overpriced pizza for the rich that does not respect the soul, history and culture of this dish, because pizza is a dish of the people. The local association of pizzaioli, the pizza makers in Naples, protested. "Briatore's pizza is not in keeping with our tradition, because pizza is a dish of the people and must not be too expensive," emphasized a spokesperson for the association. Pizza lovers feared that prices would rise under Briatore's influence.

The craft of Neapolitan pizzaioli was included in Unesco's inventory of intangible world cultural heritage in 2017, partly due to the popular character of the product. According to a study, "pizza" is the best-known Italian word in the world, even ahead of "spaghetti".

Incidentally, Briatore's pizzas look like this:

Briatore has his own approach ...
 Briatore's gastro philosophy is quite different: "We also want to launch a chic, elegant pizzeria with exclusive service in Naples. Pizza is a symbol of Italian gastronomy, but unfortunately it is often served on the cheap. We now want to change that," says Briatore, who always focuses on exclusivity in his restaurants. Michael Schumacher's ex-Formula 1 manager rejects the accusation that he does not adhere to Neapolitan tradition. All the ingredients used to make the pizza in his restaurant are 100% Neapolitan, starting with the buffalo mozzarella and the tomatoes.

"Pizza has long been international, Naples no longer has anything to do with it," explained the entrepreneur and bon vivant. His pizza is "the best", as his guests have confirmed. And: "If you sell a pizza for four euros, you can't make a profit. I don't know what ingredients are used," he said.