When I first joined Dante’s in early 2013, the story had already begun. Dante's Ponsonby had been born in 2012, a few months before I came on board. Back then, I didn’t touch the dough – I built the structure around it. I treated Dante’s as a business above the product, driven by systems, sustainability, and the dream of growth. My obsession was expansion, but never at the cost of soul. Within a few years, I took bold steps:
Takapuna opened in 2015 and became our laboratory where I introduced a fresh pasta section that blended Naples with modern flair.
That same pasta, born in Takapuna, travelled back to Ponsonby in 2017, transforming the flagship into a more complete culinary experience.
Between 2018 and 2019, we opened Queen’s Rise, Browns Bay and Eastridge – three new Dante’s in less than nine months. Each one carried the same heartbeat: fire, precision and belief.
Everything was moving fast. Too fast. And then, the world stopped. When Covid hit, it felt like the oxygen was pulled from the flame. Dining rooms went silent. Staff stood still. The rhythm that once defined our lives disappeared overnight. I remember those long, sleepless nights, standing in an empty shop, lights dimmed, listening to the quiet hum of the fridge and the memory of laughter that used to fill the room. It was in that silence that I spoke the words that would change everything. That’s when the rebirth began. In the stillness of lockdown, while the world held its breath, we returned to what mattered most: time, patience and transformation. Out of those nights, a new dough was born. Not just a recipe, but a philosophy: lighter, airier, and alive with soul. It was a symbol of renewal, a reminder that craft, like life, only deepens through struggle. After the storm, we made difficult choices. Queen’s Rise and Browns Bay closed their doors. But Eastridge held strong, standing beside Ponsonby and Takapuna as the three pillars of a new Dante’s – wiser, steadier, reborn.
Then came the recognition. In 2022, 50 Top Pizza placed us among the top 10 in Asia-Pacific and the top 50 in the world – a position we proudly held again in 2023, 2024 and 2025. And in Naples, the sacred birthplace of pizza, I carried our name into the Caputo Cup – the World Championship of Pizza Makers! – winning bronze in 2023 and silver in 2024. From New Zealand to Naples, our flame was no longer local; it was global.
Now, as we celebrate ten years in the neighbourhood, I feel that same pulse again, that quiet hum before something big happens. It begins where it always does, in Takapuna. A new transformation is rising there; something fresh, bold, and full of heart. You’ll soon see it take shape – a reflection of all that we’ve learned, all that we’ve survived, and all that still burns within us. Ten years ago, Dante’s helped redefine what pizza could be in New Zealand. Now, it’s time to redefine what Dante’s itself can become.
Ten years of fire – and the story still rises.
Dante’s by Enis Baçova
Pizza contemporanea — born in Naples, raised in New Zealand.
Ponsonby | Takapuna | Eastridge
www.dantes.co.nz
