The name Wallet pizza caught my eye. So why not pay a visit to the shop, located in the city center?
The Italian owners, Ivan and Chiara, gave me a warm welcome. You could feel the passion and enthusiasm when they started to tell their story.
Wallet Pizza is introducing a new style of pizza to Haarlem.
How it all started
As a fourteen-year-old boy, Ivan, raised in southern Italy, started to work in a restaurant as a dishwasher in his spare time. After a while, he became a waiter. And later on, he became the chef, managing his team in the kitchen, the heart of the restaurant.
He truly loved his work in the restaurant. But it was time to fulfill school obligations. After high school, Ivan went to university in Genua to study natural sciences. That’s where he met his girlfriend Chiara.
Ivan found that cooking was his passion. He dropped out of university and started to work as a chef in Genovese restaurants.
in the summer of 2018, Ivan and Chiara, were ready for an adventure together. They drove to the Netherlands and started a new life in Alkmaar. After three weeks, they found themselves a home in Haarlem. Ivan started to work in different restaurants as a freelance chef.
When Covid-19 came he lost his job. However, to him, this was the beginning of his business. He was already selling pre-cooked pizzas when, on July 8th, 2021, his dream came true. Ivan and Chiara opened Wallet Pizza in the Zijlstraat.
A new style of pizza
Ivan likes to introduce people to Italian street food. The Pizza a Portafoglio also known as the Wallet Pizza is such an example. It’s a popular type of pizza in southern Italy. The Wallet Pizza is folded and portable, making it easy to eat while you are on the move.
As well as Wallet Pizza, you can order Pan Pizza, or slices of it, with all kinds of toppings. Furthermore, Ivan also offers Roman-style pizzas for thin-crust lovers.
He uses Italian ingredients only, such as olive oil from Puglia. And even the zucchini is imported from Italy.
You can tell that Ivan goes for high-quality and nothing more.
Has this story whetted your appetite? Visit Wallet Pizza, order online via the website, or order via the app. Buon Appetito!
Wallet Pizza
Zijlstraat 35
Haarlem