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The Genius Behind Miami's Mister 01 Pizza: Chef Renato Viola’s Untold Story
00:33:32
Good morning, ¡Buenos Días! Welcome back to another episode of Cafecito y Croquetas, brought to you by Stay Tranquilo and H&CO.Today we’re joined by a very special guest — Chef Renato Viola, the Founder & Mastermind behind Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza, one of Miami’s most loved and fastest-growing pizza brands.
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Foreign.
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Welcome back to another episode of Cafecito. Icroqueta is brought to you by State. Tranquilo and H and co. Today, a very special episode and very special guest. We're joined by chef Renato of Mr. 01. Thank you so much for being here.
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Thank you. So to having me here today.
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B
Absolutely. I. I just want to first off and say that I am a huge fan of. Of Mr. 01. It is a Friday tradition for. For me and my girlfriend. We go to the location there in downtown Doral, and I get the Starry Lisa, I get the stuffed ricotta cheese in the crust, and it's like, it's what I look forward to on Fridays.
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A
Thank you. Really, thank you so much for your support.
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B
Of course.
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A
Today we have croquettas and pizza.
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B
Croquetas, Cafecito pizza. I mean, it doesn't get any more Miami than that. So before we kind of get into, you know, the story of Mr. 001, I want to hear your story. Tell us a little bit more where you're from, and then we can touch into how Mr. One was created.
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A
My name is Renato. I'm originally from South Italy, near Amalfi coast, a small city. And I moved in Miami when I was 30. Now I'm 44 and super happy. Super exciting to live here. Now I come here with my wife, and we have now two American kids. Super happy. Really? Super, super, super happy.
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B
That's amazing.
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A
Stay here. And.
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B
And what. What was the inspiration from moving from Italy to Miami?
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A
Well, I. I joined the hospitality, the pizza business, let's say, when I was super young. I start with my mom in the kitchen when I was 4. You have to understand that in South Italy, most of the family, you spend all the time in the kitchen. You have the living room, I don't know, the sofa, brand new. Nobody sit on the sofa. You know, we eat in the kitchen. We do homeschool in the kitchen. We watch tv. We do everything in the kitchen, you know. And Sunday, this is a special day. My mother always wake up early in the morning, 3, 4am to do the ragu, the lasagna special plate for Sunday. And I always wake up early with her, and she tell me always this story that she believed that I go in the pizza, become in love with the pizza, because one Sunday she was to the dough for a pizza, you know. And I was so happy that I asked for three, four other Sunday to do pizza. Until then, my family said, stop with pizza. Let's do some. Something different. But she believed that I become in love with the pizza for this reason.
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B
So your mom was. Was definitely the inspiration behind.
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A
I believe a lot of Italian mom love to cook and we spend so many time with them. And yes, then when I was 11, I always study and work, study and work because I love it. I start to, you know, go in some pizzeria, working there or if they don't want to be there, because I was super young, I said no, I want to stay there. I remember I was not making money, but I spent with the maestro pizza yolo their time and see how they're doing. I was so fascinated. And from there, step by step, I have the dispensation of the pizza and I start to grow. And when I start to be 18 after different. A different maestro of pizza we call them. I want to understand really how is the dough? How is the O1, you know, because when you go with the maest, I talk about 30 years ago. And you ask them example, why you don't put the east with the soul together. And the answer was because this is what my teachers say. So why the Owen is working like this? Because this is what my teachers, my maestro. So they really don't know. It's just because somebody tells me I start to be so curious and I believe that why example, A lawyer has to study to become a lawyer. A doctor. A doctor, a pizza maker has not to study to become a pizza maker. So I start to study, I start to go in different pizza school until I become a teacher. And then I start to travel Italy, I started to travel Europe. I was part of the Italian national acrobatic team and have so much fun. I always say that I was so lucky that with a pizza I traveled the world without spend money. But the United States was always my dream. I want to improve, I want to show that I can do it. And was this opportunity to come in Miami when I was 30 and I take it honestly, I come here first with my girlfriend, that is now my wife and say, what do you think? And of course, who doesn't like Miami? The sun, you know? Yes. So we accept this challenge. And now it's 15 years we are here.
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B
That's incredible. So when you came to Miami, what. What was kind of the thought process, Right? Obviously you had a love for pizza, but was it? I want to open a pizza shop for all this.
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A
You and their time. I don't know. You have to go to immigration lawyer, right? We talk about visa. We are immigrant here. And I remember still today I went to this fantastic Lawyer. When he saw my curriculum, he said, renato, very difficult. Maybe you're going to be the first one. But we're going to apply for the O1 visa. I say, okay, I don't know what was the one visa. Now I'm very happy that he take care, you know. And he applied for the O1 visa. So the O1 visa is. Is the United States try to bring the best of the best from outside. This Owen visit is for extraordinary ability. And I talk about athletic chef, researcher, you know, in all the different field. And no one apply in the pizza business. But he believe in based on my curriculum. Because when I was in Europe, I was also. I won some competition. I was part of the national acrobatic team. I started to work with pizza school, with culinary school, with tv. So I say, you, you, you can do it, do it. I don't know where it was. And today I'm grateful that I received this one visa.
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B
And that's incredible.
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I'm here now.
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B
Yeah, I didn't even know that that was a thing. You know, coming in and being able to get some sort of visa like that. And it's obviously a testament to you put in all that time and effort when you were, you know, at home in Italy, learning and growing, where it then allowed you to be recognized for that, for that opportunity. And then obviously started your. Your life here in the States. So when you came into to the U.S. you're 30 years old, right?
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Yes, sir. What.
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What was fast forward obviously to. To today, but what was that journey like once you got here into the States?
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What.
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What were you trying to achieve once you got here?
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Well, I believe in goal. And I'm a dreamer, of course. But I always behind the dream I put a small goal to reach. And my goal was to live here, to show that working hard, believe what you're doing, you can do it everywhere, not just United States.
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Absolutely.
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So I opened this pizzeria, Mr. Juan with my business partner. The story is super fun. And this office building with no sign and against a lot of people because they believe that we're going to fail after three or two, six months. Because believe me, nine table inside and behind the Lincoln Road. The Lincoln Road there stand was Lincoln Road. And so against people that believe say, why if somebody has to come in this office building, you don't have window. We are on the Lincoln Road. They say, you know what? I believe that if you spend time with researching quality product and offer an extraordinary service, people don't care what they're going to eat. You know, of course, I'm never going to compare Mr. One location to so many beautiful locations we have in Miami. But in pizza, I believe I can be different. Never gonna say we are the best because I don't believe in the best in food because everywhere has different tests. But for sure we are different. And our menu prove, you know, that we have different type of pizza. How you say, the style, I think it's unique.
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B
It is.
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And then now we are here, you know.
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B
Yeah, it's amazing obviously what you've been able to build. But it's like that moment, right, when you chose to say, hey, I'm gonna start this pizza place. There's, there's a lot of fear that goes into something like that, right. And I think a lot of people always have these dreams and these ambitions, right? And you mentioned you have to be a dreamer. And I think that's where it all begins, right? Everything starts with a dream.
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You have to be a dreamer. But beyond the dream, you have to put hard work. Sometimes you don't see this. You have to put hard work point. That's it. Do it start, you know, exactly. Make experience first. You know, today a lot of people say, you know, be your own boss, don't work for other people. I disagree with this. I'm really sorry. Because I say how you can learn, how you can improve, how you can make maybe mistake for somebody else, cost you less that you do for you if you don't work for somebody. So believe me or no, thanks God. I opened when I was 30. I make already 15 years of experience because maybe it was before, right. And have opportunity also in Europe to open. But I never want to open because I'm want to make experience when I open. I already have their mentality small experience to own a, you know, a small shop. One thing's very important that I always say. And when I was in Europe, I operate two pizza pizzeria there. And all my friends say, hey, why you work so hard? This is not your pizza. You know, why you care so much? Everybody think that you are the owner. I was not, you know, But I believe that you in this way you can training or your mind, your mindset is going to be there. And when you open your business, you, you, you already know what you have to do, you know. So this is very important what I believe. So working hard, I think is the still the key, you know?
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B
Absolutely. Like the, the dream can't become a reality without the hard work, right? And I think we, we hear you got to Work hard. You got to work hard, right? I think people understand that, but I don't think they actually understand what that hard work is until you do it right. And being an entrepreneur and being a founder is nice on paper, but no one talks about all the, the nuances that come into it. So talk to me a little bit, right? You, you open that restaurant, but talk to me about, you know, how, how, how difficult it is like the transparency behind, you know, starting something of your own.
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Honestly, when we open the first one was not so difficult. How is today? Because today a little bit more challenge because, you know, the city is growing and everything. But Mr. One is me and my business partner Umberto, and we found together and we say, hey, well, honestly, the father of my business partner, he tell me why you don't partner with my son. He's in the marketing. He's finished a master here. He's from Italy too. Okay. And maybe you can open your small pizzeria. Say, you know what? And I know this song. We was playing together sometime and basketball, you know, why not? And after we found this small location, we sit each other and looking in the eye say, are we going to do it? We're going to trust each other. And was a yes, believe me. Also for him trusted me on the choice of the location. You have to go in some. You cannot understand, right? Literally in an office building, you go and see and you have just nine seat. Thanks. He trusts me, you know, so we signed the lease. We found an amazing landlord. That is key. That gave us the opportunity to open this pizza shop. And nothing from them on, I believe just working hard, working hard, be consistent. That is key. And if you are consistent, nothing is difficult, you know, but today the consistency, I see that it's a little bit. People don't give so much focus. But for me, consistent is the most important thing.
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B
I agree.
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Believe what you're doing and you can reach any, any goal.
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B
Absolutely. So when was that moment when you're there where you're realizing, okay, I'm ready for that second location. And, and kind of like that, the. That growth phase of Mr. 01.
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So the first year I was working seven days on seven in the store making the dough. Today we have a commissary kitchen where we do the production because we developing a software that is incorporated in the spiral mixer with our recipe. And we have our own flour we imported from Italy with already our recipe with different type of flour already mixed. So I can take you tomorrow in our commissary kitchen. I show you One time how to do it. You know how to do our dough. You know, very easy because it's just touching the screen. They stop it when it has to stop. They tell you when you have to put the. The olive oil, the salt. Everything is.
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B
Wow.
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Yeah. Schematic and. And have the formula. But there's time. I have a small spiral mixer that I can put half bag of flour and mix it. So every morning, me alone at seven in the morning I was doing the dough. Then at 8 o' clock start to come another couple of guys helping me do the ball by hand. You know, think about.
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Yeah.
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When we have the opportunity for the second location. And thanks to Carlo Galan, that is the owner of Dolores Lolide Enrico.
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Okay.
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He was our fan and he said hey guys, I want to give you part of our location Soublis part of our location in Dolores. And I want. You have to come there. I tell you, I was a South beach guy, so no car for seven years. And for me Miami was South beach. Right.
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You know, that was it.
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That is it. And talking with my business partner. I was just once in Brickell. There was nothing. I remember and I say, I don't know if it's the right place. My Umberto, my business partner said no, no, we have to go. And thanks God we've been there. And thanks God to Carl Gallant in believing us. It's so blessed our their space in a brickhole and give us the energy, the recognition of other people. And we start to grow. In the meantime, nobody knows before Brickle we signed allocation in Wimbledon too. Where we want to do the. And we would was not Wimbledon also when we signed there, everybody. You guys are crazy. It's not good area, right? Say no, let's. Let's sign. I believe in North Miami Avenue, but some issue delayed with construction. So what's the moment that we have this opportunity with breaker we take it. But for the second location we. We already sent for Wimwood or should we open as a third one?
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Okay.
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And from them on, honestly, we are growing, growing more different community. You know, Miami how it is. They have different community. We talk about Miami Beach, North Miami. We have Coconut Grove area design district. So everybody asks us hey, why, hey, why you don't come here? And we always listen, listen, listen. So from then on, wherever, wherever community believe that we can fit in their community. We evaluate and we're going to go. Because it's a very important be part of the community.
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B
Absolutely. Yeah. And I think you talk about the growth of Miami, right? Yes, Miami has obviously catapulted over the course of the last 5, 10 years and will continue to grow. Right. It's definitely not slowing down anytime soon, but it's being able to immerse yourself in the experiences of the different communities. Right. The Grove is one place and it has a very different kind of feel to it, kind of different audience to it, but yet when you go there, you having the experience of what Mr. O1 provides in an environment where it may be different than south beach or in North Miami or Wynwood, but you know for sure that you're going to get the quality of the product no matter where you go.
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Absolutely. And you know how, you know, we have now today noli Miami, we start to grow in all Florida. Then we are, we are in two state Texas and in Atlanta.
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B
Wow.
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And this is maybe the first time I share with somebody that we already signed also for North Carolina. By the second quarter of next year, we're going to open in Charlotte.
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That's amazing. Congratulations.
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Super happy.
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That's awesome. And when you make those, you know, one thing is expanding, you know, regionally or locally amongst, you know, one city or one state, but going into a completely different market. What's the thought process behind that? Is that people saying, hey, I was in Miami, I had Mr. 01 and now I'm going back home and I want to go have it where I'm back home.
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So we have a very strong now marketing team that they share always with us. We receive a lot of how you call when somebody texts you private in Instagram.
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B
Oh, like a dm.
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Dm, yeah. Sorry about that.
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I know.
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And they say you have to come here, you have to come here. And we see also, you know, Miami is growing, but Florida is growing and other cities and also the not only the city, the people are growing, their food experience are growing. Social media. One things they help a lot is show everybody different type of food. That maybe before was more difficult, you know, but today you can really understand how is make a pizza in New York, how it's making a pizza in Italy, how is pizza maybe in Germany, you know, so you can really understand different type of food. And people are curious also to try. So I believe that we, we, we want to grow in all city they're foodie or city they like good food. And how we're doing this, honestly very simple to find the right person that because I would believe still hospitality is not only the, you know, the, the food you give it, but is all the rest. So you need really the the right person to represent you.
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B
Yeah, no doubt. So I want to talk a little bit about the. The pizza.
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A
Right.
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B
The product obviously have a lot of inspiration from home and the upbringing with your mom cooking in the kitchen. Right. But what is it that makes Mr. Om Pizza so unique? Right? You talked about the star shaped pizza, you talked like the stuffed crust. There's definitely components to the pizza that I believe are unique as a consumer. But coming from the chef, like, what's your perspective?
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A
My perspective is and very simple. When I create a pizza or, or ingredients or toppings I use for a pizza, anything I use it, I eat and I give to my family, to my kids. So I'm going to choice always the most healthy, the most best what I can found. And I have a combination between Italian product example, where you cannot find here our flour is very unique. The prosciutto. We partnered with levoni that is one of the best manufacturer in either of prosciutto, mortadella, whatever they're doing. Yeah, so good. Believe me, the. The levoni, what he's doing for us is amazing. So the grano padano, the extra virgin olive oil, the truffle oil, everything we can import from Italy. You cannot font here we imported. And plus we're gonna try to partner with local company here in other states. So we have a combination of wherever we can found, of course, based off also price and everything. And that's it. So it's not really a secret. Believe me, today you don't have really secret to do a good food. What make us the different is that we really, really are obsessed with. With guests. So for us, the guest is everything. Not only when they come in the store, but also when they order, delivery or the pickup. For us, we are obsessed with the guests. We try always in our best to make our guests happy. And I believe with a good product that we have a good pizza with an extraordinary service make the difference. I think this is the magic that make us different.
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B
Do you think when people are sitting at Mr. One, it's a taste of your home? Do you feel that way? A taste of Italy, a taste of home.
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A
I want to be very honest. Not really. I believe it's more a test of everybody us working there. So when you test the pizza, because also I adapt my pizza of work people want. When I was in Italy, my pizza was not so crispy. It was a little bit less crispy. You know, it was still a long maturation of 72 to 96 hours. I was more soft. When I come here, I Adapt and make more crispy. So I try always to adapt. When I open my first pizza, the pizzeria, I don't have pineapple on my pizza, but after 1, 2, 3, 4, 20 guest asked me to have a pizza with pineapple. Guest number 21, have the pizza with pineapple, you know, So I always try to make them happy, understand from where they're coming, from where we are, and adapt. Mr. One, where we open with also try to educate our guests. For example, when we talk about prosciutto, why our prosciutto is so different. Our Prosciutto is at 20 months, what they means, what they means working in this way, how you select, you know, your prosciutto, why not from Canada or somewhere else? Why not 16 months? So we try to educate our guests with. Give them explanation why it's different, you know. And so with the prosciutto, so with our burrata, so with our spicy oil, we like to explain why, you know, so anything we're doing has to have a reason.
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B
And the. The truffle oil that you guys have is. Is delicious. I think the first time I ever had a Mr. One pizza, I had it with the. With the truffle oil. And I remember, like, my taste buds were just. Or we're going crazy.
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A
Miami. Miami.
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B
Love truffle. Anything with truffle is, like, always the best seller. And no, it's. It's amazing what. What you've been able to achieve. And you talk about that guest experience and making the guests happy and, you know, coming just as someone that is a witness of Mr. Oh one on a regular basis, I could feel that, you know, whether it's me picking up the order or it's me sitting down at the restaurant, the experience always feels great. You always feel welcomed. The pizza does feel like it's a pizza made for. For you. Like, for me, right? Like, it's. It's something that I know whatever that day I'm in the mood for, I could find something for that, and I think that's something very unique.
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A
Thank you.
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B
It's awesome. What would you say, you know, looking back, right, you're looking back at the. At yourself as a child and looking at yourself today. What is the thing that you're most proud of? So starting. Mr. Owen.
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A
We talk about business. Mr. Owen, I'm very proud that we have a great reputation, great reputation in the business, with other business, with our team, you know, The respect we have. I'm very proud of the reputation that we create.
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B
No, it's beautiful. What you guys have built. And I know you talk about what's coming now in the horizon with new locations, but is there anything else that in the next five, ten years you would like to see from Mr. 01?
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A
Yeah, for sure. Somebody else going to say, I want to have 100, 200, 300. So I. I'm not the type of guy, I like to live in the present. I try to live in the present, you know, because it's the most important.
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B
Absolutely.
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A
Of course, with my mind, I already. But my goal is always to open in each community that one Mr. One and be successful with each Mr. One. So for me, it's more important to be successful with each Mr. And then open a thousand and then close maybe some of them.
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B
Right. You brought up something interesting there, right, about being present. It's something that I generally preach on everyday basis. Right. But it is something that is difficult, right, because you always are getting caught up in the goals and the aspirations that you have. How do you practice presence and being in the moment?
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A
I try always to spend most of my time with our team. They give you energy, they let you feel just in the present, you know. And of course, when you grow, then you're going to have different department. We start with seven people. Right now, we are a thousand. And I try to be with everybody. So coming here, I was calling in Texas, in Atlanta, they have to feel that I'm there, you know, I don't want that they. They believe that the chef is not reachable or it's too high, you know, I talk with everybody in any pizzeria, I go first person, believe me. I'm going to go to say hello before our general. I go to the disposal, something I always do. For me, I start as a dishwasher. So for me, that is respectful position.
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B
Right.
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A
A lot of people understand how important is the disposal position when they lose one, you know, so I suffer them and they're gonna say hello to every single person working with us. And of course, then I'm gonna spend time with the guests. So spending time with your team and with the guests, they. They let you feel alive and in the present. And this is why we work so hard.
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B
Absolutely.
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A
The sensation is something you cannot, but you cannot understand. We work so hard. And before we put the pizza in front of you, we already have four day of work because we do 72 hours of, you know, moderation, the dough and consistent and training for what? For your first bite and see your eyes, you know, if hopefully you like.
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B
All right, of course.
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A
But you See their pressure.
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B
And, yeah, there's probably no better feeling than seeing someone, like, take that.
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A
For me, that's amazing.
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B
You get it. And that's a testament to, you know, you're so passionate about what you do, and. And it's shown in. In the product, and. And that's amazing. Before we wrap up, I always like to provide some sort of value to the listeners. Right. You're. You're an entrepreneur, but you're also a chef. You know, you're a father. What's just one piece of advice that you would leave for someone that's aspiring to start something of their own and. And balancing that whole dynamic of life as a whole?
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A
Yeah. So very honestly, I'm 44. Yes, we have experience, but I don't think that I have so much experience to already give advice to other people. I still make mistake. Part of your journey. One things, if everybody allowed me to share is make first. Anything you're going to do, it make first experience before you work for yourself, you know, because when you work for yourself, then you. You have to work, of course, harder and harder. But let me talk in the hospitality, I. I believe that waiting until I was 30 was a great choice. And don't rush. You're gonna always have your opportunity. So my only small advice I can give today is make experience before you.
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B
Before you take that and starting something. I could. I could definitely, you know, attest to that.
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A
I believe we still make a lot of mistakes. 100.
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B
But I think that's that. That sums up, you know, life as a whole. Right. It's okay to make those mistakes, and then that's part of the process. But also, adding to what you mentioned, you can maybe make less mistakes if you take the time to learn more and maybe not jump straight into something.
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A
For example, when we have meeting with operation meeting, or they say, hey, you, chef, you have this problem. They are not allowed to use the word problem. In our company, we have situation. You know, we have challenge, but problem, believe me, in the life, there are so many. Yeah. So we're going to have everyday new challenge. This is where we like to be consistent, but this is who we are and what we like to do. Having challenge every day.
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B
Amen. That's awesome. Well, chef, thank you so much for your time. Thank you so much for the conversation. I just want to say again, congratulations to you, the team, and. And all the amazing work that you guys do. And like I've mentioned, you have a fan here and many fans across.
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A
Thank you so much. I want to say thank you so much to all our team. They are on my side and I'm going to say are behind me because believe me, they're amazing. All the operator we have in Texas and Atlanta, we are one family and without them, we cannot expand and be and be consistent.
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B
Absolutely. It's a team effort.
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A
Yeah, absolutely. Always.
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B
Well, thank you so much.
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A
Thank you.
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B
I'll see you soon.
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A
Thank you for the coffee.
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B
Of course.