Originally from Alano di Piave and with a background in economics and marketing, he eventually returned to the kitchen, building on the foundation laid by his father, Ezio, who opened the pizzeria in 1977.

Lovatel’s approach is centered around local identity, lightness, and sustainability. He developed a dough that ferments for over 50 hours, uses minimal salt—replaced by foraged Alpine herbs—and features a distinctly crunchy, biscuit-like crust. Ingredients are carefully selected, often coming from small local producers in the mountains, while his kitchen operates with a strong environmental focus, eliminating plastic and repurposing leftover crusts as animal feed.

In 2020, he brought his philosophy to Milan with the launch of Denis – Pizza di Montagna in Porta Venezia, followed by a second location in Moscova. His signature pizzas reflect the alpine environment, with toppings like cream of conifers, local trout, mountain cheeses, and candied pine tips — creations that tell the story of the territory.

Expanding beyond Italy, Lovatel took his concept abroad in 2024 with a new outpost at the Albany Resort in the Bahamas, introducing mountain-inspired flavors to an entirely new setting. He also leads the “Pizza in Malga” project, where he works in high-altitude mountain huts to experiment with natural fermentation and native ingredients in their original environments.

He describes his style as “responsible crunchiness” — a way to make pizza lighter while honoring the rhythm and nature of the mountains. In his ongoing pursuit of innovation, Lovatel collaborates with the University of Padua to study resilient local grains and often tests his ideas firsthand, even while climbing in the high Dolomites.