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In a city synonymous with the classic grab-and-go slice, L’Industrie Pizzeria has emerged as a formidable disruptor, redefining expectations with its unwavering commitment to freshness and artisanal quality. Co-owner Massimo Laveglia, an Italian native, famously dismisses the decades-old New York model of pre-made slices sitting behind glass. "That’s not a great product for me," he states matter-of-factly, articulating the philosophy that has propelled L’Industrie from a modest Brooklyn storefront to a multi-unit sensation, earning it the prestigious title of Pizza Today’s 2026 Pizzeria of the Year. This accolade underscores a culinary revolution, proving that even in the most entrenched culinary traditions, innovation, dedication, and an unyielding focus on quality can captivate a demanding public and rewrite the rules.
The Visionary Founders and Their Philosophy
Laveglia’s journey into the heart of New York’s pizza scene began not with a dream of becoming a pizzaiolo, but with aspirations of professional soccer. After moving to the United States and working as a restaurant server, he was tipped off about a year-old Brooklyn pizzeria for sale. In 2017, he took over L’Industrie from its French founder, embarking on a mission to radically transform the New York slice experience. His vision was simple yet profound: eliminate the practice of slices lingering in racks. "We don’t have pizza sitting in the rack for more than five, 10 minutes," Laveglia explains. "Here, everything is fresh – and definitely you get better quality doing it this way. There is more detail in the work; there’s more love."
Soon after arriving in New York, Laveglia met Nick Baglivo, who would become his indispensable partner. Baglivo, whose deli owner hailed from Laveglia’s father’s Italian hometown, was initially drawn to L’Industrie’s novel made-to-order slice concept. He frequently stopped by to assist, witnessing firsthand the unconventional approach that many initially dismissed as folly. "It wasn’t glamorous in the beginning. … People thought we were crazy," Baglivo recalls. "But when you think about it, why not take the extra minute to give somebody a fresh slice?" This shared belief in delivering a superior, fresh product cemented their partnership, growing L’Industrie into a business frequently ranked among New York’s most celebrated pizzerias. Their synergy is palpable; Laveglia is the hands-on problem-solver, adept at machinery repairs, while Baglivo’s chef background meticulously guides L’Industrie’s evolving menu.
A Commitment to Quality: Ingredients and Craftsmanship
The L’Industrie difference is immediately apparent to patrons who patiently queue, often for an hour or more, before the doors open. During a June visit by Pizza Today, the anticipation was palpable, and the first bite confirmed Laveglia’s nine-year-old vision. A prime example is their Burrata slice: a regular slice from the rack is swiftly finished in a dedicated slice oven, then generously adorned with fresh burrata, vibrant basil, grated Parmesan, and a drizzle of premium olive oil, ensuring every component bursts with freshness.
This commitment extends to the very foundation of their pizzas: the ingredients. The owners’ relentless pursuit of quality has fostered unique relationships with suppliers, resulting in exclusive L’Industrie-branded custom products. Their flour, for instance, is not an off-the-shelf commodity. In the early days, Laveglia experimented tirelessly with various flour brands, trialing new ones every few months. He ultimately developed a proprietary blend—comprising semolina, whole wheat, Type 1, and other flours—with a precise 5% whole wheat content. This blend, which he found offered the perfect balance and workability without imparting an overly "bread-like" taste, is now custom-milled to his specifications and delivered in L’Industrie-branded bags. While available to others, this custom blend saves the staff considerable time and labor, crucial for a team producing dough for hundreds of pies daily.
Similarly, their olive oil is a testament to their dedication. A few years ago, Baglivo and Laveglia journeyed to Puglia, Italy, to collaborate with an olive oil company. The result is a custom-labeled, 100% Coratina extra virgin olive oil, exclusively used in their shops. These bespoke ingredients, along with other dry goods, are meticulously stored in a basement-level cellar at their Brooklyn location, ensuring optimal conditions and ready access.
From Humble Beginnings to Metropolitan Icon: A Growth Timeline
L’Industrie’s physical growth mirrors its culinary evolution, marked by strategic expansion from its initial, almost impossibly small footprint.
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2017 – The Genesis in Williamsburg: When Massimo Laveglia took over L’Industrie, he inherited a mere 250 square feet in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The L-shaped layout, with a single entry/exit point, was "awkward" and challenging, especially considering Laveglia was initially the lone employee. For three years, he made do with this tiny space, meticulously crafting his vision.
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The Pandemic Pivot and Original Location Upgrade: The COVID-19 pandemic, while challenging for many businesses, presented Laveglia with an unexpected opportunity. When the adjacent real estate agency closed, the landlord encouraged him to lease the space, and eventually, the adjoining storefront on the corner. Initially hesitant, Laveglia leased "just enough room to make a better product" and installed a dividing wall. Customers can trace this gradual expansion by floor marks where walls once stood. Despite the larger footprint, the kitchen remains "super tiny," a testament to their efficient use of space. Today, the Williamsburg flagship features an open layout where customers order at a counter facing a limited menu. Crucially, Laveglia installed glass panes separating the dough mixer and proofers from the dining area. This transparent approach allows diners to watch staff preparing dough, embodying his belief: "We don’t want to hide secrets. We don’t have anything to hide. You eat pizza and watch the guys rolling dough." During warmer months, an outdoor dining structure further enhances the customer experience.
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2022 – The West Village Expansion: Years of perfecting their model and building a strong team paved the way for L’Industrie’s first expansion. In 2022, they opened their second location in the West Village. Laveglia describes the new spot as having a "similar vibe: small." This expansion, however, brought back the familiar grind of starting anew, with Laveglia dedicating long hours, often from 6 a.m. until night, for four to five months to establish the new outpost. The West Village, a historic and bustling neighborhood, quickly mirrored the Brooklyn store’s success, drawing lines out the door despite fierce local competition from renowned pizzerias like Mama’s TOO! and John’s of Bleecker Street. Staffing for the new location was strategic: 80% of the team transferred from the Brooklyn store, having undergone months of training, ensuring a "very easy transition" and consistent adherence to the L’Industrie system.
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March 2026 – Conquering Little Italy: Earlier this year, in March 2026, Baglivo and Laveglia undertook their most ambitious expansion yet, opening L’Industrie’s third storefront in New York City’s iconic Little Italy. This neighborhood, densely packed with an estimated 60 Italian restaurants and pizzerias within five square blocks, represents the ultimate test of their model. Baglivo, who grew up in Midtown Manhattan, highlights its strategic central location, serving "four to five different neighborhoods off that corner." Laveglia notes that the Little Italy outpost boasts the best physical footprint of all three locations, featuring high ceilings and a larger dining area with a front wall that can open, seamlessly blending the pizzeria with the vibrant streetscape. While accommodating a larger mixer due to its size, the equipment largely mirrors the Williamsburg and West Village locations, maintaining operational consistency. The experience gained from the second location made this third expansion "exponentially easier," allowing them to "roll right into it" without pause.
The Culinary Backbone: Beyond Pizza
While pizza remains L’Industrie’s core, the culinary program extends far beyond, creating a comprehensive Italian experience.
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One Oven to Rule Them All: A cornerstone of L’Industrie’s efficiency and quality is its multi-functional, four-deck electric oven, which operates almost non-stop from before dawn until after dark. A dedicated morning team arrives hours before opening to pre-heat the oven and prepare desserts and breads. Once at temperature, baking commences, starting with their scratch-made daily offerings: olive oil cake and carrot cake. These are followed by bombolone, millefoglie, and chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with sea salt, along with tiramisu assembled fresh daily. This ingenious use of a single oven for both savory and sweet items maximizes efficiency and ensures a consistent quality across their entire baked repertoire. For individual slices, a separate countertop slice oven is used at the expo station to reheat to order, allowing for the fresh addition of toppings like burrata and basil.
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Elevated Desserts by Gabriele Marziali: In late 2025, L’Industrie elevated its dessert program significantly by hiring Gabriele Marziali, an acclaimed Italian pastry chef from Rome, known as the "king of laminated pastry." Marziali’s mandate is not only to enhance the dessert menu but also to standardize operations across all three locations. He uses a different, specialized flour blend for his fresh-baked cookies and pastries. Each L’Industrie location offers three types of bombolones, and catering orders for mini bombolones and cookies are common. Marziali’s dedication to freshness is evident in practices like peeling carrots daily for their carrot cake, which is frosted with a cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt blend. He constantly refines processes, stating, "Olive oil cake is something I would never want to change because people love it. What I can do is make sure every day the customer takes away the best cake possible in terms of shelf life, texture and how we have it on the counter." His Millefoglie, a highlight, features impossibly thin layers of puff pastry dough, generously coated with a light, airy Chantilly cream (a mix of whipped cream and custard), offering a delicate balance of sweet filling and slightly bitter, salty pastry.
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Refreshing Beverages: Beyond baked goods, L’Industrie also offers a curated selection of beverages. A soft-serve machine dispenses two types of gelato, often featuring seasonal fresh fruit like cantaloupe, made from pureed fruit rather than artificial concentrates. The other gelato option might include rich Italian pistachio paste, hazelnuts, or olive oil. From May to October, a countertop machine serves frosé. While they initially had a broader wine and beer license, the overwhelming demand led them to streamline their offerings to maintain efficiency. L’Industrie-branded aluminum bottles of water and other grab-and-go drinks are also available.
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The Coveted Wednesday Sandwich Special: Every Wednesday, L’Industrie expands its concise savory menu to include a highly anticipated sandwich special. The foundation is a bespoke sesame seed bun, crafted from the same unique dough as their signature pizzas. Baglivo credits the sesame exterior for adding distinctive flavor and texture. Marziali details the meticulous process: "We start from the pizza dough – the same weight of a pie – and we shape it into a baguette." These baguettes are then rolled in sesame seeds, proofed for 2 to 2.5 hours, scored, and baked with steam. Baglivo personally champions these specials, sharing videos on Instagram that ignite a flurry of orders and comments. The limited availability means once a shop runs out of bread, the special is over, adding to its allure. Baglivo, self-deprecatingly calling himself "the belly behind the sandwiches," explains his inspiration: "It’s food that I like to eat, food that’s inspired seasonally – also weather-driven – and food to make people feel good."
Sustaining Excellence: Operations, Consistency, and Future Plans
In the fiercely competitive New York City market, where "there is less forgiveness" for culinary missteps, consistency is paramount. Baglivo aptly illustrates this: "If you’re in Oklahoma or Iowa, the closest pizzeria is a mile away. Here, pizza is across the street. It’s down the block. There’s five pizzerias within half a mile. You’ve got to be on your game all day."
Massimo Laveglia and Nick Baglivo embody this dedication. They are in constant communication and make it a point to visit all their shops daily, even on holidays like Christmas, just to "check." This hands-on approach is the bedrock of L’Industrie’s unwavering consistency and success. To further ensure product quality, managers at each location send daily photos of pizzas emerging from the oven. Looking ahead, the owners are developing a proprietary app to standardize and grade employee adherence to the L’Industrie system. "Basically, me and Nick, we’re going to walk every location at any time of day, and we’re going to give a score to the manager: How is the pizza? How is the cleanliness? How is the vibe? How’s the music?" Laveglia explains. "We’re going to do that to make sure the quality stays high."
The morning routine at L’Industrie epitomizes this meticulous approach. By 11 a.m., the morning team completes dessert preparations, and tomorrow’s pizza dough is resting. They then meticulously clean their stations, readying them for the second shift to begin firing pizzas for the impending lunch rush. Following a brief break, first-shift staffers return to cut and ball pizza dough in trays—a collaborative, time-intensive process that, at the Brooklyn location, is performed behind the glass wall, captivating customers who often stop to watch and take pictures. This transparent dough preparation also serves a practical purpose: the enclosed space is air-conditioned, maintaining an optimal, even temperature for the dough, crucial for consistency.
L’Industrie’s employee development strategy is integral to its sustained excellence. They encourage growth within the company, fostering an environment where even dishwashers and pizza makers are trained in multiple roles. This comprehensive understanding of operations is key, as Laveglia notes that even experienced pizzaiolos can struggle to adapt to L’Industrie’s specific, rigorous system.
The success of L’Industrie Pizzeria offers a compelling case study for the broader restaurant industry. In a market often driven by rapid expansion and cutting corners, Laveglia and Baglivo demonstrate that a slow, methodical growth rooted in uncompromising quality, relentless dedication, and a deep respect for the craft can yield exceptional results and enduring customer loyalty. Their model, focused on fresh, made-to-order products and transparent processes, is not just reinventing the New York slice; it’s setting a new standard for pizzeria excellence, proving that a little more "detail" and a lot more "love" can indeed define a culinary legacy.
