Meet Oualid Ferhati | Pizzaiolo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Oualid Ferhati and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Oualid, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The inspiration for opening Re Di Roma was rooted in a deep love for crafting exceptional wood-fired pizza and fresh, homemade pasta. After spending 12 years perfecting the art of wood-fired pizza in Rome, I developed a passion that went beyond just cooking—it became a way of life. When I relocated to Arizona, I knew I wanted to carry this dedication forward and share the authentic flavors and techniques that I had honed over the years. My goal with Re Di Roma was to recreate the experience of Italian dining, where every bite reflects the care, tradition, and craftsmanship that goes into making genuinely outstanding pizza and pasta.

What should our readers know about your business?
We operate a wood-fired pizza (pizza Napoletana) and fresh pasta food truck, featuring a 3,400 lb. Valoriani pizza oven that we take with us wherever we go. Our journey to where we are today has been driven by one simple principle: producing the best possible product. A significant portion of our menu is made entirely from scratch—everything from our pizza dough and pasta to our pasta sauces and mozzarella is crafted in-house. We do our best to stay committed to the traditional Italian methods of making pizza.

Our biggest challenge over the last four and a half years was navigating our first year in business during the COVID-19 pandemic. We opened in January 2020, just two months before the world shut down. During that first year, we took on every job we could find and spent the summer working in front of an 850° oven. It was exhausting, to say the least, but that period allowed us to fine-tune our processes. Since then, our work-life balance has significantly improved. We’ve learned that taking some time away from work not only recharges us but ultimately strengthens the business as well.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Fabio On Fire
Rosso Italian
Phoenix Pizza Festival – it’s best to visit Arizona during the cooler months, so the 9th annual Phoenix Pizza Festival (on November 16-17) would be a fun day. A great way to show off the variety of amazing pizza being made in the Phoenix area!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a special shoutout to Natalie Morris, an instructor at ASU’s Edson College of Health Innovation, who played a crucial role as a mentor for us in the early stages. We were lucky enough to be accepted into ASU’s Prepped program for food entrepreneurs, and Natalie provided us with invaluable resources and guidance. She treated us like we truly had what it takes to succeed in opening and running a small business, and her support helped us build the confidence we needed from the very beginning. That belief in us made all the difference.

Website: https://ReDiRoma.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rediromaaz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rediromaaz

Image Credits
Christy Kless