Starting a business during a global pandemic is not easy but Pizzulu is one of the successful brands that had grown rapidly in just a year.
In an exclusive interview with wheninmanila.com, Pizzulu owners Kat Zulueta, Karla Zulueta, Kim Zulueta, Kamille Zulueta, Miguel Alegre and Paolo Melgarejo shared how their business started and how it became successful despite the pandemic.
“Pizzulu was a lockdown idea and started exactly a year ago. An idea that we thought of during one of our family dinners during a strict lockdown in manila. Two months after that day we launched Pizzulu online”, shared Kat Zulueta.
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What started out in a 30sqm room, Pizzulu was inspired by authentic Italian pizzerias in Europe. Owners shared that it is also inspired by their travels and how they have tried delicious brick oven pizzas. They wanted to bring a piece of that to the Philippines that’s why they came up with Pizzulu.
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What sets Pizzulu apart from other pizzerias are its premium cheeses and ingredients that they use for their unique and exciting flavors like black truffle mushroom pizza, spinach & artichoke, and prosciutto & arugula pizza.
Pizzulu’s Manager Joey has over 30years of experience in the pizza industry and now, he makes sure that the operations are a well-oiled machine to provide the best quality pizzas.
The pandemic gave birth to many food brands but it’s not a walk in the park. As fast as food brands started, many closed just as fast. This can be accounted to the lockdowns and the changing quarantine classifications. But Pizzulu continued to prosper despite the current situation.
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“There were definitely birth pains. When we started we had to serve fresh brick oven pizzas in a timely and fast manner, maintaining quality while keeping up with high demand”, Kim Zulueta shared.
“We started with a 30sqm commissary, 4 staff, and one brick oven, and 3 months after we launched online we moved to a 600sqm commissary with over 20 employees”, said Paolo Melgarejo as they reminisced about the brand’s humble beginnings.
Aside from an amazing product, Pizzulu shares that there are many factors that come into account when starting a business. “We aligned the structure of the business within the current situation of the pandemic in our country. It’s a complete blend of a good product backed up by a solid and strong online marketing presence”, Miguel Alegre said.
“Resilience is key and know how to re-structure your company when a pandemic or crisis hits. Know your market really well and fill up their needs and desires based on your product line, especially at this time, know how to connect with them especially on lockdowns. Come with a strong and solid message and present this in a creative manner to your consumers”, Karla added.
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Celebrities raved about Pizzulu endlessly and it has been one of the driving factors to the success of the brand. “We are in a world of storytellers and visual entrepreneurs, social media is a free way to reach your desired market. From creative visuals, tapping influencers and even joining TikTok, if you are strong in social media during this time then you can have a higher chance of withstanding a crisis like this pandemic”, said Kamille Zulueta.
Only a year old, Pizzulu had grown rapidly from that 30sqm room to their own commissary located at their San Juan branch. They are now preparing the BGC branch to cater to more customers. “We are excited to open our BGC branch this coming December 2021 where customers can finally dine in and experience our pizzas straight fresh from the brick oven. Future plans of expansion are also in the works and introduction of new product lines”, Karla added.
Pizzulu offers the freshest brick oven pizzas and is one of the most sought-after brands in the Philippines.
Pizzulu
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