Born and raised in Southern Italy to a family of bakers, surrounded by sacks of flour, Chef Francesco Caló’s passion for baking came as naturally as breathing. But despite finding the one thing that makes his heart beat faster, the Master Pizza Chef explored other paths with his desire to enlist in the police force and eventually enlisted in the Coast Guard and served at the Rimini Harbour Office. But being away from the scents of his childhood and the creativity of baking, Chef Caló felt something change inside of him.
As soon as he found himself torn between his desire and his passion, Chef Caló knew that the best thing for him to do was to go back to his roots and rediscover what it was that made him fall in love with baking. He left the Coast Guard and studied culinary arts, focused on giving Neopolitan pizza his creative twist, and eventually gained his master’s and Neopolitan pizza instructor qualification.
Soon after, Chef Caló moved to Vienna and began his gastronomic venture. In 2016, he made his dream a reality when he founded Via Toledo Enopizzeria, a niche restaurant at the heart of Vienna, championing the founder’s love for wine and pizza. Since opening its doors to customers, Via Toledo has been recognized by various Austrian National Food Guides as Chef Caló bested over 350 competitors during the National Championship of Pizza Doc and brought home the prestigious Best Italian Pizzaiolo in the World.
In 2020, Chef Caló bagged many other awards, including Best Pizzeria in Austria, Second-Best Pizza in Europe, Best Performance of the Year, and Best Wine List by 50 Top Pizza. In 2021, he achieved Best Pizzeria in Austria 2021, Second-Best Pizzeria in the whole of Europe, and Best Beer Service 2021.
With all of his achievements, Chef Caló is truly one of Italy’s greatest pride today and has placed his mark in the gastronomic culinary scene, putting his unique twist on one of the world’s most-loved food of all time. Taking his passion a bit further, Chef Caló created his own blend of flours called Intensa, breaking his trademark and guaranteeing natural, healthy, tasty, and unique pizza through differing kneading techniques. His personal, unique blend is designed to create a light, digestible, and intensely flavorful pizza.
Behind his success are years of struggle and challenges. Via Toledo and his journey to break free from his family’s shadow did not happen overnight. Chef Caló had found himself torn many times between following his dream and continuing his family’s legacy. But he shared that the rollercoaster ride was well worth it, building a gastronomic haven for pizza lovers everywhere.
“No start is ever easy. Mine was turbulent. I had to make sacrifices. I had to leave my comfort zone when I ran the family bakery because I felt cramped. Although I had chosen to take a leap of faith by leaving everything behind by moving abroad and starting afresh, I was happy,” said Chef Caló. “I did not know what awaited me, but my motivation was strong, and my hunger was incredible. And I am here today because of that. If I had stayed in my comfort zone for fear of an uncertain future, I certainly would not have achieved all that I have built with so much hard work and tenacity.”
Chef Caló’s vision is to elevate pizza and provide the best culinary experience using advanced techniques and top-quality ingredients, and truly, he is succeeding in turning his vision into reality. After expanding his culinary masterpieces to Dubai, one of the most culturally-diverse countries in the world, there’s no doubt that Chef Caló will also succeed in making his name known as the best Master Pizza Chef in the world.
