A little slice of Italy lands in Benoni

A PIZZA shop tucked into a Benoni side street is serving up more than just food - it's recreating a dream inspired by a taste of Italy, right down to the flour, oven and craft.

- VERNA VAN DIEMEN

Owner of Pizzeria Sogno di Napoli, Bálint Lados, and his uncle and business partner, Attila Gencsi, visited Naples in 2023 while on a trip to Hungary.

What they experienced there - simple, top-quality pizza at affordable prices - stayed with them.

"We said why not try to recreate that here. The whole vibe and environment. A little shop with pictures and flags on white walls, very busy and everything is fresh and affordable."

They didn't stop at inspiration. Determined to bring authenticity to Benoni, Bálint sourced Italian flour through local suppliers, secured a wood-fired oven that reaches the 500°C mark required for real Neapolitan pizza, and flew in an expert to teach them traditional methods.

"The food there was something else - fresh, top quality and very cheap. When we came back, we said we need to try something similar here."

After months of market research and visiting pizzerias across Gauteng and Pretoria, they noticed a gap.