Signora Pizza has spent the past six years doing something remarkable: building one of Las Vegas’ most acclaimed pizza operations from a food truck. Now, just weeks after owner Floriana Pastore earned international recognition as the world’s Best Street Pizza chef, the acclaimed pizzaiola has opened her first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Signora Pizza Lab.
The new shop represents the next step for a business that has steadily built a loyal following while giving Pastore room to expand beyond the menu that made the truck a favorite among Las Vegas pizza lovers.
“I can see that the community is really supporting us,” Pastore told the Food and Loathing podcast during the restaurant’s opening week. “We had all our old customers, new customers. It feels great.”
Fans of the food truck will still find the Neapolitan pizzas that helped earn Pastore worldwide acclaim. But Signora Pizza Lab also introduces several new offerings, particularly during lunch service.
“We’re gonna make the same [things] that we usually do on the truck, that is the Neapolitan style,” Pastore explained. “But for lunch, we will have the Romana style as well. We sell by the slice. We make our loaves of bread, sourdough every day. And we have zeppole.”
The menu also includes pizza fritta, a traditional Neapolitan street food resembling a calzone, but deep-fried after being filled with ingredients such as ricotta, mozzarella and prosciutto.
“It’s very old Neapolitan street food,” Pastore said, noting that the dish dates back to the late 1940s.
The new restaurant is designed primarily for takeout, although it offers a small number of indoor seats and a patio for guests who want to enjoy their meal on site. Pastore said she is intentionally delaying third-party delivery, so customers experience the pizzas as intended.
“As of now, I would love to have people come and pick it up to see the store,” she said. “Delivery is pretty tricky sometimes. I don’t want the pizza to reach home after one hour.”
Despite opening a permanent location, Pastore insists the Signora Pizza food truck isn’t going away. After taking its usual summer break, the truck is expected to return with a greater emphasis on private events while continuing to serve longtime customers.
“We don’t want to leave our customers over there,” she said, referring to the truck’s longtime home. “We’ll definitely be concentrating more on private events.”
The restaurant’s name reflects Pastore’s hands-on approach to pizza making. Signora Pizza Lab features an open workspace where guests can watch dough being prepared, giving customers a glimpse into the craftsmanship behind every pizza as Pastore begins the next chapter of her Las Vegas journey.
