Episode 89: Giorgia Caporuscio with Don Antonio Pizza

Giorgia Caporuscio was born in the small town of Terracina, Italy, an hour from Naples. In her youth, she dreamed of becoming a flight attendant to pursue her love of travel. At 19, she moved to New York City to work in her father’s pizza restaurant.

The experience changed her direction. “It was love at first bite,” says Giorgia, adding “I became intrigued with the process of authentic pizza making and wanted to master the art.”  

Giorgia traveled back to Italy to study under master pizza maker Antonio Biglietto in Naples, and she went on to win first place in the World Pizza Championship. In 2019, she returned to New York City to attend culinary school and, upon graduation, take over operations of Don Antonio, her father’s initial restaurant.

In this episode, Giorgia shares her story of how she succeeded in New York City’s competitive Hell’s Kitchen dining market and the specific challenges, including:

• Balancing the dynamics of a traditional family business with today's demanding labor market.
• Maintaining the traditional menu while meeting the tastes of today’s diners.

She also explains:

• Why in-house delivery works better than third-party delivery post-Covid.
• How to enhance the guest experience through staff training and improved processes.