Zielona Górka - Poland
Our journey to discover our ovens around the world begins with a stop in Poland. Right here we had the pleasure of interviewing the founder of Zielona Górka, a corner of Naples in the heart of Pabianice.
ARE YOU A PIZZA MAKER OR AN ENTREPRENEUR?
I love making pizza, and together with my wife, Lila, we run the Zielona Górka restaurant in Pabianice. As both a pizza chef and an entrepreneur, I prepare pizza for our guests almost every day, from the start of service until late at night.
Neapolitan pizza is an art, and creating a beautiful dish is always rewarding. It brings a smile to people's faces, and that makes the world a better place every time.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS JOB OR DID YOU OPEN THE PIZZERIA?
We have been running the restaurant for 6 years.
In 2020 we became an AVPN certified pizzeria n°818.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE WORLD OF PIZZA?
As a kid, I watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They were always eating pizza, and I dreamed of being a ninja. Making Neapolitan pizza has all these elements in itself: it is art, action, perfection, detail, fire, goodness. Over the years, I never missed an opportunity to eat pizza. My mother used to make it at home when I was little, and I enjoyed making it too. I've always had a bigger appetite than most! I think pizza chose me.
TELL US YOUR STORY
I was born in 1984 in Pabianice and have been living here for 37 years. As a child, I was fascinated by computers: a friend of my parents, a university professor, taught me how to program when I was only 10 years old.
Then I discovered the guitar and music, and I dedicated many years to it.
One night I dreamed that my hands were made of pizza… and I even recorded a song about it!
At university, I had to choose between Computer Science and Architecture. I chose Architecture because it was closer to my lifestyle: I didn't want to spend my life in front of a computer. After my master's degree, I started working and opened my own design studio. I also started my doctorate. Then, after passing all the exams, ready for my thesis, I stopped to think about where I was going. That's when Lila and I had the opportunity to open a restaurant. And we decided to give it a try. I remember going to college and telling my professors: “I'm going to make pizza.” You can imagine their reaction!
I think the pizza lifestyle was in me ever since I ate my first pizza while watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Lila and I invested all our savings and the first year of work into transforming a house into a restaurant. We built and implemented almost everything ourselves, with the help of great friends.
After three years of study and investment we came to Naples to learn from the Masters. Our friends at the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana gave us support and training, and helped us design the new pizza building that houses our wonderful oven. Angular Acunto: a small architectural masterpiece, built around the oven itself!
Over the years we have met some amazing people in Naples. You've helped transform our local community, making it more aware and happier, thanks to the original pizza! Our pizzeria is visited by people from all over Poland, and everyone loves the green Acunto oven visible from the park, the street, and the garden.
We have also participated in several events with excellent results:
Pulcinella Trophy 2018, Naples – 5th place (technical jury)
2019 True Neapolitan Pizza Olympics, Naples – 6th place “Under 35”
Best Pizzeria AVPN 2021 - Top 30
The world of pizza is still new to us, but I think Lila and I have a Neapolitan heart.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO RUN A PIZZERIA IN YOUR COUNTRY?
We work every day. Neapolitan pizza is still a novelty for many local customers. Our mission is to make it as good as possible: we prepare the dough every day, mix the tomatoes by hand, and use mozzarella and other ingredients imported directly from Naples.
There are still too few qualified pizza chefs to meet AVPN standards, so the pizza is prepared by two pizza chefs and a dough master: me, Kacper Kacprzak and Kacper Walczak.
"Quality is our top priority."
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE OUR OVENS?
I fell in love with your ovens at first sight. Simply!
Just a glance from an architect is enough to understand that these ovens represent quality. The oven Angular Acunto For me, it's a masterpiece of design. It's also a "sports" oven: you have to be quick and precise. It's delicate to use, but it's incredibly satisfying. I love working with your oven: every time I look at it, it makes me smile. It's a piece of true pizza history and adds authenticity to our story. I even placed a volcanic rock from the top of Vesuvius under the oven.
Together with the lucky horseshoe, they create a real source of “mojo” in our kitchen.
And then… my big green Acunto looks like a Ninja Turtle!
HAS COVID CHANGED THE WAY YOU WORK?
It helped us become more responsive to customer needs. We made deliveries independently (no Uber/Glovo here) even in winter. Lila and the waitresses took care of the service! We now have a mobile app for orders and menus. Today everything is back to normal, but we are ready to change the workflow at any time.
WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
We have new ideas every day. I'd like to standardize our operations and make our pizzeria a brand that represents time and quality. And... I'd love to have more Acunto ovens!
A FINAL GREETING TO THE FRIENDS OF ACUNTO
I would like to thank the Acunto family for the best oven, which makes our work authentic!
Thanks to 'Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana for your support and for sharing the most amazing dish in the world: Neapolitan pizza!
A special thanks to my wife Lila, who brings meaning and a smile to everything we do together.
Thanks to our families, friends, and staff who helped us create the most unconventional pizzeria in Poland!
And a special thank you to all our restaurant guests: you complete our work!
