— Raphael Nieto, Owner & Operator
Soci’s Story
“Life gives you but a few chances. It’s a dream come true to bring about special moments through Neapolitan pizza.”
Soci (Italian for “partners”) was started because I missed the pizza I grew up loving in New York but couldn’t find after moving to North Carolina. Noticing the beautiful farms in the Triangle, I wanted to make Neapolitan pizza that represented the best of those local flavors.
In the fall of 2024, I began developing partnerships to source the best ingredients while simultaneously planning the design and construction of a vintage Piaggio Ape food truck in my garage. After a year of building and testing recipes, Soci is now ready to bring true-quality mobile pizza catering to the Triangle.
In New York City, I ran a restaurant that gathered 500+ 4.5-star reviews and earned accolades from The New York Times, Time Out, and Eater. For the Ape build, I leveraged my background in product design and learned a few things along the way.
About The Build.
After running into overpriced, poorly built food trucks, I decided to design and build my own, a 1991 Piaggio Ape mini food truck, custom-engineered for mobile pizza catering. Every inch was handcrafted in my Pittsboro garage using American aluminum, modular design, and a Gozney pizza oven mounted above the cab, a placement now patent pending.
This one-year solo build became both the heart of Soci Pizza and the prototype for future Soci Build projects: micro food trucks designed for performance, beauty, and real business use.
Fall/Winter 2024
Beginning
Sketches, material hunts, and cycles of trial and error marked the start of a custom Piaggio Ape mini food truck build that would become Soci Pizza.
Spring 2025
Framing
A modular frame built from American aluminum poles, lighter and stronger than the traditional welded steel frames used in most food trucks.
Summer 2025
Persisting
In the heat of the summer, every bit of plumbing, wiring, and paint pushed the vintage Piaggio Ape food truck closer to becoming a mobile pizza truck.
Fall 2025
Finishing
Final touches, branding, sealing, and test runs. The Soci Pizza Ape build came to life, marking the completion of a one-year solo project built entirely in Pittsboro, NC.
