As a city, Baku shifts effortlessly from ancient stone to glass towers, from quiet courtyards to light reflections in the Caspian Sea. History rises from the walls of the Old City, the Flame Towers interrupt the skyline, and cafés hum with activity.
Sitting inside one of Pizza Mizza’s newest branches – part of Azerbaijan’s fastest-growing pizzeria chain – that same contrast shapes the dining experience. The room is warm and softly lit; couples lean in over shared plates, families unwind, and students stay longer than they planned. This isn’t a pit stop. Pizza Mizza is a place that invites you to linger.
But rewind to 2018 and the story looked very different.
The business was struggling to define its identity. With support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union through the EU4Business Initiative, the company received tailored advisory that helped the founders rethink their brand, modernise the customer experience and build a clearer path for growth.
Today, Pizza Mizza stands as an example of how EU-supported business advisory can help local entrepreneurs strengthen their competitiveness and scale their ideas.
Where flavour meets ambition
Aslan Hajiyev, Pizza Mizza’s co-founder and CEO, moves through his latest restaurant on Darnagul Avenue with the ease of someone who has grown alongside it. He greets staff with a smile and gestures towards a corner table where a new pizza recipe is being tested. Growth here is steady, intentional and quietly ambitious.
Today, Pizza Mizza is one of Azerbaijan’s leading pizzeria chains, with 14 branches and a 16% market share. Yet the story began as a modest experiment in 2014.
The business started as a small family-run start-up created by two young entrepreneurs – brothers Aslan and Anar Hajiyev, who launched the venture at just 26 and 28 years old.
Fresh dough, Gouda-based cheese blends and halal-certified ingredients form the backbone of their offer. The brand’s signature cheese – developed with the help of Düsseldorf-based food technologist Elmar Hasanzade – gave Pizza Mizza a distinctive identity. Inspiration also came from New York’s iconic pizza culture, whose bold flavours and fast-paced creativity influenced the founders’ early vision.
But despite strong customer praise, the early years revealed deeper challenges.
The company’s branding was weak, digital visibility was limited, and the dine-in experience lacked the atmosphere the founders had imagined.
A turning point: rebranding with EU-supported advisory
Everything began to shift in 2018, when Pizza Mizza received advisory support through the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses programme, supported by the European Union under the EU4Business Initiative.
Through the programme, consultants helped the founders define the experience they wanted to offer customers. A new brand identity emerged – with unified visual elements, redesigned packaging, modern interiors and a stronger digital presence.
The transformation changed the business model dramatically.
Where Pizza Mizza once relied on delivery for nearly four out of five orders, the redesigned spaces began drawing customers back to the table. Dine-ins rose from 22% to 38%, daily sales increased 14-fold, and the average order value doubled – clear signs that customers were not only visiting but enjoying the experience.
This transformation culminated in the Elmlar branch, a pilot location featuring open kitchens, terraces, warm materials and a clearly defined fast-casual concept.
It quickly became the company’s best-performing branch.
Encouraged by the results, Pizza Mizza rethought its expansion strategy. Instead of focusing mainly on delivery, the company developed four restaurant formats – express, mall, mid-size and full-capacity locations – enabling growth across diverse neighbourhoods while maintaining a consistent brand identity.
Customers responded immediately: dine-ins and takeaways increased significantly, and the brand climbed to the top rankings on aggregator platforms.
Innovation at the table
In the kitchen, experimentation continues.
A selection of trial pizzas is currently being developed, and Aslan remains closely involved in the process.
“The kitchen is experimenting with balanced contrasts,” he says, “pairing sweetness with heat, richness with acidity and other thoughtfully structured flavour combinations.”
The result, he adds with a smile, “is very Azerbaijani.”
Local culinary culture has always embraced layered flavours and fusion rather than strict culinary boundaries.
Even the company name reflects this cultural touch. In Azerbaijani speech, repeating a word with an added “m” – pitsa mitsa – creates a playful, affectionate tone. The name feels familiar before the first bite.
A slice of resilience
The Covid-19 pandemic became another defining moment. Instead of retreating, the company adapted quickly, launching 24/7 contact-free delivery and family-sized lockdown bundles.
Rather than shrinking, Pizza Mizza continued to grow. This agility strengthened the business and reinforced the founders’ belief that local companies can compete with global brands.
“We may not have the scale of international chains,” Aslan explains, “but local businesses listen differently. We notice faster. We adapt quickly.”
People remain at the heart of the company’s approach.
Many staff members joined as students or in their first jobs. Training, development and internal promotion are seen not as costs but as investments.
Aslan and Anar emphasise open management, transparent decision-making and shared responsibility – creating a culture of trust within the company.
Looking ahead: the Blue Ribbon journey
Pizza Mizza is now preparing for its next stage of growth with support from the EBRD and the European Union through the Bank’s flagship Blue Ribbon programme, which supports high-potential companies with tailored advisory for sustainable expansion.
The programme will help the company introduce an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, integrating finance, inventory and operational processes. It will also support the adoption of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools to streamline routine tasks.
Advisory support will further focus on strengthening human resource management, developing a long-term franchising model, securing international quality certifications and advancing sustainable business practices.
An international adviser will help design operational systems, training frameworks and quality assurance mechanisms that can support expansion beyond Azerbaijan’s borders.
With plans to open nine additional branches and build a new production facility, Pizza Mizza is well positioned to elevate Azerbaijan’s fast-casual dining sector and expand regionally.
The company’s long-term vision includes franchising, entering new regional markets and continuing to enhance customer experience through technology, sustainability initiatives and premium quality standards.
As Aslan reflects:
“Every slice carries a piece of our journey. It blends the German precision Elmar brought us, the creative spark of New York’s pizza culture, and the warmth of home you only find in Azerbaijan.
Now, with the EBRD and the European Union supporting our growth, we have the structure and systems to expand – while staying true to who we are.”
