Our Treccani defines pinseria as a “A restaurant where pinsa and often other foods are served. but if we wanted to explain not only what a pinseria is but also grasp its real essence, we could define it as a emerging concept in the gastronomic panorama whose aim is to bring innovation to the traditional pizzeria market.
There are 68 thousand pizzerias in Europe
Let's start with pizzerias. Opening one today is a real challenge, especially in terms of differentiation. According to data from National Confederation of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprises, in the Italian territory alone are 127 thousand businesses that sell pizza, and it is therefore imperative to differentiate oneself to acquire a slice of a market that is worth 15 billion euros. European data instead restrict the field to pizzerias, understood as premises dedicated exclusively to pizza-based catering. At this time, there would be 68 thousand.
The need to differentiate your pizzeria has fueled the evolution of the last twenty years, during which we have gone from an image of the place as a rustic and welcoming place for a quick meal to a modern and refined place, which serves a gourmet pizza with top quality ingredients and new combinations of flavors. In the meantime, always to differentiate themselves, some pizzerias have specialized in Italian regional traditions, offering specific pizza styles from different regions of the country: the Roman-style pizza in a pan, low and crispy, and the Turin-style pizza al padellino (or tegamino) are just some of the dozens of existing variations.
Over time, differentiating has become increasingly difficult. Some pizzerias have started serving many different dishes, others have focused on take-out, being able to count on new delivery models, others have focused their offerings on dietary needs, food choices and lifestyles geared towards health and well-being.
What is a pinseria and what is the difference with a pizzeria?
In 2001, we invented pinsa as lighter and healthier alternative to pizza, but with characteristics that make it equally good and tasty. It is this ability improvement to have decreed its success, which is literally exploded in the last 10 years due to an ever-increasing interest in healthy and wellness-oriented eating.
At the same time, the first pinserias were born, initially present only in central Italy (where, moreover, pinsa was born), then throughout the peninsula, in Europe and, finally, in the world. Today the OPR Association (Originale Pinsa Romana) registers certified pinserias in every part of the globe: in Moscow, Portugal, California, Australia, Venezuela and Canada, just to name a few. We can say that wherever there is pizza, Pinsa has a chance to assert itself, because the need for healthy, tasty and light food is certainly not exclusive to our country.
Treccani is therefore right when, to the question "what is a pinseria”, he answers succinctly “the place where pinsa are served”, but it is also true that innovation is deeper than the simple production and distribution of new food products. The pinseria is a place that intercepts the new needs of consumers and therefore has innovation in its DNA.
Opening a Pinseria as an Opportunity for Restaurateurs
The opportunity for restaurateurs is clear. They can take advantage of the peculiar characteristics of the pinsa to create something new, perhaps in areas not yet covered by official pinsa shops, or give new life to an existing proposal, adding a distinctive element to your menu. This opportunity helps restaurateurs also to counter the new competitive scenario created by delivery: if yesterday the pizzeria competed with the local restaurants, today it has a larger market at its disposal but also tenfold competition, from which it can emerge only by differentiating itself.
The versatility of the pinsa makes the pinseries can present it in all its forms, intercepting different needs: pinsa can accompany a quality aperitif, it can be a dessert to end dinner with, it can be the star of the meal or an alternative to focaccia. Restaurateurs can take advantage of its versatility to build a complete offer without having to deviate towards other foods; or, they can introduce it into a consolidated menu, but in this case it is better to focus not so much on its versatility, as for the innovative element. Recipes and combinations become so crucial: since we are talking about differentiation, our advice is to dare. Without excess, certainly, but to dare.
Pinseria: the value of certification
The OPR Association arises from the need for safeguarding the authenticity of Roman pinsa and carries out training and certification activities for pinseries, which, following an examination of the product quality, can boast the title of Original and Certified Pinseria.
But why is a certification important? As mentioned, the success of pinsa depends on a mix of taste and lightness that is not easy to obtain. In fact, it is necessary to start from the right mix of flours, create a dough according to the rules of the art, correctly manage hydration, leavening and cooking. Just starting from a wrong mix or making a mistake in one of these steps is enough to create a product that is not in line with tradition and unsuitable to conquer the consumer's palate. Differentiating yourself with a mediocre quality product is almost impossible.
In the face of an exponential increase in supply, it becomes necessary safeguard the characteristics of the original product, avoiding that a product that does not meet expectations is served in the premises. Only in this way is it possible to keep the promise of creating a tasty and light alternative to pizza, protecting both the consumer and the restaurateurs faithful to the tradition of Roman pinsa.
For all these reasons, the Association was born, with its training courses and certifications, which involve both the premises (restaurants, pizzerias and pinserias) and the pinsaioli, a new professional figure destined to have great success in the future.
