Arlington’s Pupatella has been recognized by an international pizza ranking guide as one of the premier pizza chains worldwide.
The Italy-based guide 50 Top Pizza gave Pupatella and a few dozen other notable pizza chains special mention alongside its “50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains 2023” list, an annual selection of the best pizzerias in the world.
“Their style, highly appreciated by the public, nods to contemporary Neapolitan-style pizza,” 50 Top Pizza said on its website.
“On the menu, you’ll find pizzas divided between red and white, all traditionally topped with ingredients often of Italian origin,” the website description continued. “The Napoli Street Snack section dedicated to fried items is a must-try.”
Founded by Naples, Italy natives Enzo Algarme and his wife Anastasiya Laufenberg, the pizzeria started as a modest pizza cart near the Ballston Metro station in September 2007.
Almost three years later, the duo opened their first brick-and-mortar location at 5104 Wilson Blvd — which nearly closed at one point — in the Bluemont neighborhood in 2010.
Since its inception, Pupatella has garnered numerous awards and this week, Algarme welcomed the news that Pupatella was mentioned in the guide.
“At Pupatella, we believe in doing things the old-fashioned way, which is why I think we’ve become a staple in our community since opening in 2007,” he said in a statement to ARLnow.
“We also feel it’s important to invest in the community that gave us our start to build long lasting relationships instead of following trends,” he continued. “We try to be the kind of place where people come back to because they grew up going there — and they know the experience they’re going to get when they come to any of our locations.”
The pizza chain has expanded to seven additional locations across the D.C. area, including another in Arlington on S. Walter Reed Drive, and outlets in D.C., Reston, Springfield, the Mosaic District, Leesburg and Richmond, Virginia.
It intends to open four new locations in D.C., Alexandria and Chantilly, Virginia, and Columbia, Maryland, according to its website.