“Filante” project: the evolution of pizza by the slice

2020 was a peculiar year for the restaurant industry, but Federico and Luca, owner and store manager of Filante, were not discouraged and opened their ‘pizza al trancio’ restaurant in Milan. A new, young and dynamic format that started with take-away and has now become a place to live and with a new opening on the horizon!

But what are the success factors of this pizzeria aimed at innovating one of Milan’s cornerstones, aka pizza al trancio? We had the opportunity to interview Federico and Luca to reveal the secrets behind ‘Filante’ concept…

How was ‘Filante’ project born?
“Filante was born as an idea of a physical place where you sit down, are served and eat hot pizza fresh out of the oven for a unique taste experience,” says Federico, co-owner of the brand, who has always had a passion for pizza by the slice, pizza al trancio Milanese.

He continues:
“This type of pizza is different from Roman pizza, it is tall, triangular, baked in 45 cm diameter pans and very topped. And the name Filante recalls precisely the presence of mozzarella, a characteristic that refers to the perception of taste.
We saw an opportunity to develop this product in a modern key, choosing only quality ingredients, including the heat of S series deck oven and optimising the production process. Ours is a modern project, a chain of pizzerias in which we have created a product that is the evolution of the traditional slice. In fact, our payoff is precisely: the evolution of pizza al trancio. In fact, we are the first evolved pizza by the slice chain.”

What are the values that distinguish ‘Filante’?
“Lightness is the key for us. In fact, we have created a production process that counts 24 hours of leavening, using noble flours, little oil on the product and quality toppings for a lighter slice that is much appreciated by customers. We use type 1 flour, but we are also testing an alternative with stone-ground multi-grain flour of a high standard never seen in Milanese slices and new toppings such as those found on classic pizza, which are special, almost gourmet-like.”

“In addition, we focus a lot on quality heat. Pizza al trancio was historically made in a wood-fired oven, and today our customers are very surprised to learn that our S series oven is electric, because the taste is great. Advanced baking is a value we believe in, an added value we try to communicate and spread.

Why did you choose Moretti S series oven?
“Our project is aimed at the development of a chain with several points of sale, so we needed an oven that would guarantee consistent baking. In addition, we wanted a tool that, with the same result, was more user-friendly than a wood-fired oven.
With the S series electric deck oven, there is no need for experienced staff: even beginners can use it.
The plus is having a superior baking quality, but also the ease of being able to better manage and standardise the product.”

What are the main advantages you find from using it?
“What we like most is the optimal insulation and the ability to maintain the temperature together with the precise regulation of the top and deck, which are fundamental. Making a lot of pan pizzas, the temperature often varies, rising and falling with each baking. What strikes us is that S series oven keeps the temperature constant, returning to the set temperature quickly. In addition, when we have peaks in our work we use the Power-Booster which helps us keep up with the production rhythm. Furthermore, the oven is very intuitive both as a software and as adjusting the type of baking you want and we also use the programmed switch on timer, it’s so convenient. Last but not least is the need to reduce consumption: we turned to Moretti Forni precisely because it guarantees maximum energy efficiency, lower consumption and it supports our value of sustainability.”

Such has been the success of ‘Filante’ that after only a year and a half in business, they will also open a second shop in the Porta Genova area, obviously with another S series oven!