The pizzaiolo behind Tievoli Pizza Bar explains the importance of a simplified menu and how to make your mobile unit stand out everywhere you go.
After decades in the pizza business and a successful track record as a franchisee, Giovanni Labbate, a U.S. Pizza Team Premiere Member, recently launched Tievoli Pizza Bar in Palatine, Illinois, to bring his take on New York-style pizza to Chicagoland. Here, we dive headfirst into Labbate’s journey, from venturing out as a solo operator to designing a “sexy pizza truck.”
Brian Hernandez: How did you get started in the pizza business?
Giovanni Labbate: I’ve basically been in the business for over 30 years. My father started in the industry back in the 1970s and I really wanted to continue the tradition. Tievoli was born in 2023. It is “I love it” backwards and really just embodies how we feel about pizza here.
Hernandez: 2023 is not that long ago. What were you doing before that?
Labbate: I was a Billy Bricks franchisee for a while right before this. I helped them build their brand a lot, but the whole time I really just wanted to get out on my own. I wanted to bring back what my father was doing in Chicagoland in the 70s, because there’s not really a lot of New York artisan pizza in Chicago. We thought this would be a great addition to Palatine and the surrounding area. So far so good.
Hernandez: How did your vision for Tievoli differ from Billy Bricks?
Labbate: They were more of a neo-Neapolitan, which we still do on our pizza truck, but Tievoli is more of an artisan style of New York pizza, with a higher hydration. We also do Sicilian style. We lean more towards the trendy side at Tievoli, thanks to my wife’s interior decorating skills, so we have not only a different pizza, but a different look. We’re also looking at expanding the number of styles we do.
Hernandez: What is the first step for someone wanting to venture out on their own?
Labbate: You must have a great plan. Put a business plan down on paper, definitely get your finances straight and come up with a great menu that’s going to be efficient and consistent in your kitchen.
We have a simple one-page menu that I know will get executed with ease when I am not here. But also make sure you have a good product. People today are very picky about where they spend their money, and when you’re just starting in the business, it’s a struggle to keep everything fresh if you’re not as busy as you’d hoped. It’s easy enough to add to your menu later if you still want to, but, efficiency- and staffing-wise, it’s easier to keep a smaller menu.
Hernandez: You also have a mobile unit. Is this a carryover from your previous franchise?
Labbate: It is, but we gave it a nice upgrade. We went from a traditional food truck to an all-glass front so you can see the action taking place in our gold Marra Forni dome oven. It’s definitely a step up from what we had. We just wanted to make a point when we pull up to events, so we upped the wow factor with, as my wife Adrianna would say, “a sexy pizza truck.” It’s almost 14 feet tall so we can’t go everywhere with it, but that’s a fair trade-off when you pull up to that wedding or private event and everyone says, “Yeah…that’s a food truck.”
Hernandez: What can someone starting out or with a smaller budget do to stand out with their mobile unit?
Labbate: Have your finances straight and start small. We started in a small regular truck, and now we have a modest food truck empire here. We really don’t have to do many bookings now—that all comes from repeat customers and word of mouth. I really don’t book anything myself. It just comes in through email. But that took time. Get your funds correct, and then go with something that makes sense for yourself. When you have your finances squared and start making money, then you can upgrade your tuck.
Hernandez: What’s the first upgrade someone should do when they have funds to invest. Spinny rims?
Labbate: Yeah! The wrap on your truck is an important part of your business. Getting a good designer to design it and paying attention to the finer details to get your brand just right. Obviously, good application is a must as well. Get the truck branded, then, seriously, add spinny rims, chrome it out, get a glass front. Expose whatever it is that you are doing—pizza or burgers—and let the world see inside. I think people are intrigued by seeing the whole operation going on. We are 99% events, so we incorporate a lot of music as well, but you definitely have to make sure you stand out in that row of food trucks if that’s where you are.
Hernandez: Sounds very much like a catering service with 99% events. Is a pizza truck that popular at weddings nowadays?
Labbate: In essence, yes and yes! A lot of people think we do the late-night snack thing with our truck, but we actually are doing full-service catering events like 90% of the time. So when we pull up, we’re not just cooking pizza but also pastas, salads, appetizers—a full menu. We’re also doing linens, plates, napkins and bartending. We’re not just your typical pizza truck. I think it’s a one-of-a-kind thing we have going on.
Hernandez: Tell us about the California Pizza Challenge (CPC).
Labbate: In August 2024, my wife and I went to the CPC in L.A. and brought home the title of California Pizza Cup Champion and a trip to compete in the World Pizza Championship in Italy. I also won the 3-Cheese Challenge category. It was a big focus of ours to go out to that competition this year and come home with a win. In typical fashion, one day my wife came home and threw a bunch of ingredients at me and said, “Let’s come up with a pizza.” So we came up with the Peach Perfect Pizza featuring grilled peaches. We actually put it on the menu, and it did really well. Fast-forward a little: We said if we’re going to California to compete, we have to do this pizza, and we did, and we actually won with it. It’s a great pizza for the summertime, and it just made sense for California. Once again, credit to my wife. She brought home the toppings, and I made it happen.
Hernandez: Should I be interviewing her?
Labbate: Probably. It’s looking like I’ll be obsolete in a year or two. Even if she doesn’t come up with the pizza, she’s the first one to taste-test it, so she’s a big part of the process all around. If she says it’s not good, it doesn’t see the light of day. She helped in the 3-Cheese win as well. I actually forgot I entered it, so she helped me run around and locate three California cheeses on the spot. We hit the Di Stefano booth and got some fresh mozz and a creamy ricotta. I also used a basil-infused olive
from another booth and whipped the ricotta with some parsley, salt and pepper, a few other herbs and topped those dollops with some fresh basil. That, and the olive oil, I think, really highlighted the cheese in the pie. But honestly, our crust was spot on that week, and that’s what really helped us. We used the same crust in all our events, and it’s the same crust we use at Tievoli, so it’s nice to know it’s award-winning.
Hernandez: Did your win in California affect any plans you may have had for the World Pizza Championship?
Labbate: In California I just did what I do every day in my shop, and that’s still the plan. I’m not gonna make any drastic changes or do anything outside of the norm of what we do here. We’re going to start highlighting some ingredients and ideas on social media and see what our customers think and take it from there.
As Labbate looks forward to competing on the global stage at the World Pizza Championship in Italy, it’s clear that this Chicago-based pizzeria is just getting started. Keep an eye on Tievoli Pizza—the future of pizza is looking very bright.
