January 20, 2017

Meet Luca Varuni of Varuni Napoli in Morningside

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luca Varuni.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Luca. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Naples, Italy, where I quickly developed a passion for cooking and traditional Italian cuisine. I began working in the kitchen when I was just 14 and never looked back. While in Italy, I was lucky to study under Enzo Coccia from La Notizia, which is the only Michelin-rated pizzeria in the world, and several other mentors who have helped guide me along the way. I moved to the United States and worked at pizzerias in New York City and Philadelphia before coming to Atlanta to settle down with my beautiful wife, LeAnn. After spending a great amount of time studying and researching the time-honored tradition of authentic, Neapolitan pizza, I opened Varuni Napoli in Morningside in 2014 and am happy to announce we will be opening a location in Krog Street Market in early 2017.

Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been a smooth road in some ways because we opened the restaurant and pretty quickly received a great response from the Atlanta community. People love our product. But there are always little struggles in this industry. My biggest personal challenge is continuing to motivate, train and influence my team and be a good leader. Every leader makes mistakes, but you have to have a team who understands you and vice versa – I’m lucky to have that at Varuni Napoli!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Varuni Napoli – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are best known for making consistently delicious and authentic Italian pizza, maintaining a fun atmosphere in the restaurant and loving our people, both team members, and guests.

I’m proud that Varuni Napoli has been classified as the best pizza in Atlanta, but I’m most proud to work with a team of amazingly passionate people. I work very closely with my brother Benny in the kitchen and my general manager Patrick on the business side of things and I surround myself with a lot of young, energetic team members who make me proud to come to work every day.

We really try to go above and beyond in everything we do. That includes sourcing better, fresher ingredients for our customers and making sure that every guest has an overwhelmingly positive experience.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that each neighborhood in Atlanta has a unique identity and personality, and I especially love the concept of the Beltline! With the opening of our Krog Street Market location, we will have Varuni Napoli at each end of the Beltline loop – it’s something I’m really excited about.

Contact Info: