Nico Acampora, with his PizzAut boys, ready to wow Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Nico Acampora, the creator and creator of the first pizzeria entirely run by autistic people, could not miss the presentation of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix to be held in the Temple of Speed next weekend: after all, his PizzAut has been confirmed as the official pizzeria of the event. And no wonder, because the level of his project (made both in Monza and Cassina de’ Pecchi) is very high, as is that of his product. Sportal.it had a chance to interview him.

In these years you have given birth to something extraordinary. Shall we tell it to those who still do not know PizzAut?
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It is always difficult to answer this question, because for me it is not an achievement, it is a dream taking shape. My dream is to close PizzAut. Yes, to close it down. Because in an ideal world it should not exist. If all workplaces were truly inclusive, there would be no need for a project like ours, which gives space and voice to those who are often excluded.

Beyond the undeniable quality of your pizzas, let’s talk about exceptional numbers: how many autistic kids have you hired?
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A lot, and not for show: forty-one real, permanent hires. This is unique, not only in Italy, but also in Europe. The guys really work: they make pizzas, they stand at the bar, in the kitchen, in the dining room. And now we are even here, in the paddocks at Monza, cooking. It’s a huge thing.

Are you ready for Monza, I see you also have the red glasses… a little bit Ferrari, a little bit PizzAut?
Exactly. Red is our color, PizzAut’s color. But here, of course, there&#8217s also a special thought for Ferrari. In the paddocks we will present two pizzas dedicated precisely to the drivers: the Leclerc pizza and the Hamilton pizza.

Will they be personalized pizzas?
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Sure. For the Englishman, who is vegan, we have designed an ad hoc pizza. Inclusion for us means this: attention to differences, to needs, to everyone’s choices. Even on the menu we have several vegan options, because PizzAut is a restaurant for everyone, no one excluded.

In your Monza venue you have also had very important guests, one above all…
Yes, we had the honor of welcoming the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. It was an emotional moment for all of us.

Is there anyone who has not yet come, but whom you would really like to invite?
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We have a dream in the drawer. We would like to cook for a very famous autistic man. A man who everyone knows, also because of his commitment and visibility.

Are you talking about Elon Musk?
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That’s right. Elon Musk. We would love to make a pizza for him and maybe get him involved in a larger project on autism. He himself has stated that he is on the autism spectrum. It would be wonderful if he could use his influence to really make a difference on this issue.

So can we issue the official invitation?
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We do it every day, even the kids call it by now, “Elon, come eat at our place! We are waiting for you with your pizza!” And who knows… maybe one day he will really knock on our door….