Loopini’s pizza is packed with nutrition – but that’s not the selling point

Loopini’s approach is about offering a delicious, restaurant-quality pizza made with Italian-sourced ingredients, rather than positioning its frozen pizza as merely a healthier option, explains CEO Damiano Messineo in this episode of Startup Spotlight.

The brand aims to be a healthy option with its Classic Margherita, Bianca Al Tartufo and Vegan Margherita containing up to 54 grams of protein, 26 grams of fiber and 590 calories for each 14.8 ounce pizza. The pizza’s protein and fiber content come from the lupini bean, an unorthodox choice, but an ingredient that is rooted in Italian cuisine, according to Messineo.

This challenges the typical “healthier” pizza category by offering consumers a product that does not compromise on taste, while providing a more functional, nutrient-dense alternative — blurring the line between wellness and indulgence.

Loopini’s frozen pizzas are produced in Italy near the Milky Mountains and the San Marzano region, where the brand sources its mozzarella and tomatoes, explained Messineo.

While pizza is a staple in his home country of Italy and in New York City where he and his co-founders run Loopini’s operations, Messineo noticed how indulging in a few slices leaves New Yorkers feeling guilty afterwards, he said.

This observed cognitive dissonance sparked the idea for a healthier pizza that exhibited the same flavor profile as traditionally-made styles. Along with a highly coveted nutritional profile, lupini beans also are regenerative and “good for the planet,” Messineo added.

Advice from tradeshows helped fine tune packaging design and messaging

While perfecting the taste and texture of the lupini dough took a year, the startup chose to highlight the macronutrient benefits over the ingredient itself. This strategy prioritized flavor and health benefits first, with ingredients and sourcing as secondary messaging, Messineo said.

The co-founders heeded the advice of prospective buyers they encountered at the Summer Fancy Food Show last year in New York City. Most of the feedback was about Loopini’s packaging, Messineo said.

The brand’s packaging initially featured ingredient-forward messaging and after feedback, it pivoted to focus more on flavor and macronutrient callouts with larger imaging of the pizza itself, while the outer rim of the packaging features Loopini’s hero ingredient – lupini beans – and Italian-sourced and produced ingredients.

“It has to be normal pizza. Sell it like a normal pizza that is delicious,” he said.

Loopini’s focus is on establishing a retail presence in New York City with “demos. Demos, demos,” Messineo said. The startup recently launched in Pop Up Grocer in New York City with plans to expand in other retailers in the area, Messineo said.

“We want people to try our product. We want to get big in New York City before exiting out of the Big Apple. But I believe New York City is so big that you can grow a million dollar company just staying in New York before going out. So, as they always say in the industry, try it out in your backyard before going out,” he added.

From bootstrapping to pitch slams

Messineo met his fellow Italian co-founders while attending New York University where they bootstrapped the business starting with $100,000. Later, the co-founders received grant money from NYU’s startup programs – a strategy that are actively pursuing outside of their academic environment in pitch competitions, as they intend to “avoid the venture capital route,” for now, Messineo said.

He credited the Startup CPG community as a helpful guide for Loopini to navigate pitch slams and learn “the secrets” and “from people’s mistakes.”

Currently, Loopini is a semifinalist at NYU’s Stern Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship. The winner, announced in May, will receive $75,000 to build a startup. Messineo and his co-founders will attend a course with NYU to prepare for the next round.