The last time we sat down with Anna Giampà and Matteo Fiorilli, co-founders of LìOLà Pizzeria in Laval, they had just opened the now much loved Italian eatery along the beautiful waterfront location on Boulevard Lévesque Est.

A lot has happened during the past year and the couple could not be happier with their accomplishments so far. Winning two important industry awards in the past year, their love of good food, their customer focus, and their drive to innovate and create have proven to be a true recipe for success.

In less than a year, a new LìOLà location has opened in Mile End and new pizza products have been introduced. In fact, the pizzeria’s Neapolitan fl re has been accompanied by some Roman pizzazz with the introduction of pinsa on the menu. For those of you who are not familiar with this light, crispy, yet fluffy Roman delight, it is an absolute must-try.

Laval Families Magazine was happy to meet up with Anna Giampà at the Laval location to find out what led to such success in such a short time and what the future holds for the LìOLà brand. For our new readers, please explain how this project came about a little over a year ago. Matteo, my husband, came to me early in 2018 expressing an interest in opening a pizzeria, but like with all things Matteo dreams up, it was not going to be just a pizzeria. Matteo had a vision for a scalable business model that would go beyond the initial restaurant. We did extensive research and explored the opportunity and we met inspiring people who helped us bring this dream to life. The project was really born out of an appreciation for quality food combined with the objective of creating something truly authentic and innovative at the same time.

Why do you think LìOLà has had such great success in such a short time?
I believe you reap what you sow. We dedicated countless hours to this project before and after its opening and we are now seeing the results. We invested time in experimenting with our dough, training our staff, as well as learning and improving. Customers see and appreciate this and we are happy to say that we have a very high percentage of returning customers who bear witness to our hard work.

We were also able to introduce a superior Neapolitan pizza product, in a family-friendly atmosphere. This, in turn, led to an increase in the number of Laval families visiting our restaurant and talking about their experience with others. What is different about LìOLà pizza?

It is really a combination of things; the crust, the quality of the mozzarella we use, the blend of top- pings. Our pizzas are artisanal. Our Neapolitan pizza is hand-made based on a recipe passed on by four generations of pizza-makers. We pride ourselves on the authenticity of our product.

Additionally, Matteo and the pizza-makers have worked diligently in introducing a new product onto the market, the Roman pinsa. We have been among the first in Canada to come up with a proprietary flour mix and present the pinsa on our menu as of June 2019.

Although many restaurants define themselves as family-friendly, what makes LìOLà in Laval different from the rest?
Not only does the Laval restaurant offer a delicious kid’s menu, a play area for children and a dedicated section for families, we also offer a space for children’s birthday parties. Although the play area concept is a feature we may keep for the Laval location only, this space continues to attract parents looking to enjoy a meal, while watching their child play happily a few feet away.

What does the future hold for LìOLà?
Following the opening of the location in Montreal, we have plans to expand with an additional 10 locations throughout 2019 and 2020. These will be either corporate or franchise locations. We also offer courses in pizza-making to both individuals seeking a career as a pizzaiolo and individuals who simply love a good pizza. We plan to partner with young and dynamic entrepreneurs who have always dreamed of opening a pizzeria! So, if you fit this description, give us a call!

Follow LìOLà Pizzeria on Instagram and Face- book to stay up to date on the latest promotions, product news and future projects!