Colourful and quirky, Ferdinando’s Pizza serves South Africa’s favourite pizza, according to diners who voted the establishment into top spot in this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge.
Owner Italian Diego Milesi dedicated the win to his late partner Kimon (Kiki) Bisogno who died in a shark attack in Plettenberg Bay in September.
“The staff and I celebrated when we heard of our victory. However, it was a bitter-sweet moment because we were missing her. She was our motivational spirit and was always filled with such great ideas. I am busy putting my energy into replicating what she did and keeping it going. She always valued people first, and it is a tribute to her that as a small micro-business in Observatory, we have done so well.”
“Kimon would have been thrilled with the win. She was excited about everything in life, and that included this competition. It is such a tribute to the colourful and loving person that she was. She connected with the people in our community, and we succeeded in no small measure because of her hard work.”
Milesi explained how it felt to take the title and why they decided to enter: “My mission has always been to bring passion to our chefs and get them to love what they are doing; it isn’t simply a job. We have always wanted people to feel at home at our establishment. We have always wanted to bring the best Italian food – made with passion and consistency – to our customers, and the win gives me a lot of confidence that we are doing just that.”
He explains why he believes customers have embraced Ferdinando’s. “I have always said that running a restaurant is not a business, but a lifestyle. You have to fit into the requirements of your area and community. We always try to do it with a smile on our faces. It is about a place with a vibe and quality food without being pretentious. We try and show the love for what we do in our food.”
Bisogno, a South African artist, met Milesi during her international travels. They fell in love, relocated to the Mother City, and decided to share their love of pizza with Capetonians.
