Davide Lubrano Lavadera

Founder/ Co-owner of Pizzata Pizzeria and Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Instagram: @Pizzata_pizzeria, @Pizzata_birreria, @Obsession_pizza

At this year’s Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Davide Lubrano Lavadera took the stage on multiple occasions – as winner of the Roman Division and second-place finisher in the Pan Division at the International Pizza Challenge and as an inductee into the World Pizza Champions. Lubrano Lavadera is a third-generation pizzaiolo from Naples, Italy, formally trained at the Roman Pizza Academy. He and friend Vinny Gallagher – along with Davide’s brother, Ciro Lubrano – opened Pizzata Pizzeria as a New York-style slice shop in Philly’s Rittenhouse area in late 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ready to grow, they embarked on Pizzata Pizzeria & Birreria in 2024 with a spacious footprint, indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar and a full, expanded menu.

Pizza Today (PT): What has made you so passionate about Roman style?

Davide Lubrano Lavadera (DLL): Pizza al taglio is, to me, an art form where precision and dedication meets personality. The dough is really alive, long fermented, super airy and very complex. What made me passionate about it was the challenge, because Roman-style pizza needs patience, technique and lots of respect for the craft. Every pizza baked is a test of intuition and control. But once you master it, it rewards you with something very unique: a perfect crust that crackles and holds really well, a pizza that, when you see it come out of the oven, makes you fall in love over and over again. Roman style gives you the opportunity to express your creativity and imagination, allowing you to discover your true self every day. That’s what drives my obsession, gives me purpose to challenge myself every single day and leads to a beautiful life journey.

PT: As a third-generation pizzaiolo, what’s the most important lesson your family passed down about making pizza?

DLL: It’s pretty simple: never settle. Always keep learning, stay humble and strive to make people happy. Pizza has a special way of bringing people together, creating smiles, joy and unforgettable simple memories around the table. It’s a connection passed down through generations.

PT: How do you balance honoring tradition with innovation in your pizza making?

DLL: Pizza for me is very personal. The innovation and creativity that I try to pour into my pizzas is more of an evolution of the past. My pursuit of growth and constant improvement while respecting the art of pizza is my way of honoring the old-school pizzaiolos. They paved the way, showing us that something so simple can be so special. The passion I carry today is a tribute to all of them.

PT: What’s next for Pizzata?

DLL: We just purchased new ovens for each location, and we are building a dough lab facility, which will allow us better quality control – and, hopefully, new opportunities arise for us in the near future.

Read the July 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

Who are this year’s Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry? We profile six up-and-comers who are making their mark on pizza. Discover why the Grandma style pizza is spreading across the country. See why your pizza could benefit from whole-grain flour. Brush up on inventory management best practices. Learn how to take your products to the retail market. Go to the July Issue.