In Senigallia, the rhythm of hospitality changes with the seasons. During the summer months, customer flows increase, service hours extend and maintaining consistency becomes an essential part.
Located on the seafront of this vibrant town in the Marche region, Scalo Zero was created around this very challenge: an all-day restaurant operating from breakfast through to after-dinner service, designed to deliver a seamless experience.
The project was launched in 2022.
"Scalo Zero started as a challenge," explains Simone Pongetti, the venue manager.
"We already owned two restaurants in Senigallia and asked ourselves: why not open a third one and make it a pizzeria?
It was something we had never done before."
During summer season, service intensifies significantly. On peak Saturdays, the restaurant handles substantial volumes for many consecutive hours.
"On a busy summer Saturday evening, we can produce around 400 pizzas," he says. "The restaurant may stop briefly and then immediately restart."
In such a demanding environment, high-performance baking technology becomes essential to ensure service continuity, smooth management of peak shifts and consistent product quality throughout the day.
To support this complex production model, Scalo Zero chose the S series oven.
The decision initially came from recommendations within the local foodservice professional community.
"I'd heard very positive feedback from other restaurateurs," says Pongetti. "When we visited Moretti Forni and tested the oven ourselves, we immediately realised it was on a completely different level compared to the oven we had previously used."
The restaurant customised the oven with two Fastbake and one Multibake deck.
This setup allows different products to be baked simultaneously while maintaining precision and consistency.
The two Fastbake chambers are dedicated to high-hydration contemporary pizza, while the Multibake is used for the Refining® process of pan pizzas and stretched pizza styles.
"We prepare them in our production lab," explains pizza chef Nunzio Moio, "and then complete the baking process here just before service."
One of the aspects that stands out most in Nunzio's experience and Neapolitan pizza background is the simplicity of managing the oven during service.
"I trained on wood-fired ovens," he explains, "which are demanding and require a great deal of time and attention. With S series, everything becomes much easier."
Consistent baking performance becomes especially important during periods of maximum workload.
"Once the pizza is inside, you may rotate it once if you want. Otherwise, you simply close the oven, and the baking remains even and uniform."
During peak hours, the Power-Booster function helps the oven maintain stable performance even under pressure.
Alongside this, the Eco-Standby function reduces energy consumption during quieter moments while keeping the oven ready for immediate restart.
"The Booster is fundamental," says Moio. "During the busiest shifts it increases deck heat and keeps everything running smoothly. The standby function is equally valuable during slower times because it preserves heat inside the oven."
Nunzio also highlights another key challenge for modern pizzerias: staff turnover.
"Training a new team member on this oven is very simple because it's intuitive and delivers consistent baking results."
Scalo Zero's menu is built around multiple pizza styles.
Alongside contemporary pizza, guests can enjoy ‘stirata’ – similar to pizza in pala - and pan pizzas, with offerings that evolve according to seasonality and customers.
"We use local ingredients, including the flours for our doughs," explains Pongetti, "but as a chef I enjoy exploring recipes from all over Italy, bringing flavours from Palermo, Veneto or Rome onto a pizza."
Nunzio confirms that customer preferences are also evolving.
"Our ‘stirata’ is the signature pizza," he says. "However, pan pizza is growing rapidly and customers are showing enormous appreciation for it."
Several signature pizzas remain central to the menu, including the Diavola Calabra, topped with 'nduja, stracciatella and olives, and the Tajamare, featuring seafood on a tomato base.
"Another best seller is the Scarpetta, with slow-cooked tomato, cream and 120-month-aged Grana cheese shavings."
On the Senigallia waterfront, Scalo Zero has developed a fresh and forward-looking approach to hospitality, combining vision, technology and quality.
