It was a Sunday in April when the Messaggeri di gioia group from Cesano Boscone gathered at the San Giustino oratory for their regular Sunday afternoon. As announcements were being made, Nives suggested we have lunch at PizzAut. We loved the idea and said yes immediately. Paolo went straight to the reservation website — and the first available date was October 1st, 2023. We told him to book it. Fifteen people. Let's go. We were stunned when we realized we'd have to reserve five months in advance. This place was clearly something special.
Let me explain what PizzAut is. According to the official site: "It is the first pizzeria run entirely by autistic young people, working alongside Nico, PizzAut's founder and father of an autistic child, to build a major inclusion project — a real opportunity for the future of autistic youth. It's a chance for many autistic young people to gain dignity, independence, and autonomy through work. Because together, we can nourish inclusion. Why pizza? Because it's simple. It's genuine. It's familiar. It lets you be creative and it's quick to make. We're a group of dreamers who believe we can build a better world — together, including with you."
By early September, we started making phone calls to spread the word. The response was immediate and overwhelming — PizzAut had become famous, people saw it on television all the time, and everyone was curious to watch the young staff at work. We ended up with about twenty-five people interested. Nives quickly sent an email to increase the reservation from fifteen to twenty-five. As the date drew closer, excitement and nervous energy filled the group. We had to organize transportation to Cassina de Pecchi, so we split up: some took public transit, others drove.
It was a beautiful sunny day — warm, but we arrived right on schedule at one o'clock. A waiter met us at the door and led us to the dining room, where we were seated at two long tables. What a sight. What an amazing space; such beautiful words painted on the walls; the young staff in their uniforms, some wearing staff shirts — they were wonderful to watch, so moving to see them working.
A waiter came to each table to take our order. He offered us an appetizer of fried zucchini blossoms, which we accepted, and then we ordered the specialty pizzas — each one special, unique, delicious. The waiter wrote everything down carefully. He was a little nervous and worried, but we tried to reassure him that everything was fine. He told us, "I can't make mistakes. I have to do everything right. I want to make a good impression. It matters to me." The appetizers came quickly, and the pizzas arrived just as fast. They were delicious — light and delightful. Once everyone had their drinks, we raised our glasses in a toast of good wishes. For dessert, the young staff brought homemade sweet pizza — incredible! What a team. So skilled, so well-organized and practiced. After we paid and said goodbye, we asked the manager if we could take a photo with all the staff. He said yes and told us to step outside while he brought everyone out. Click — a group photo. What a moment.