In Mantes-la-Jolie, the queue sometimes starts before midday in front of Trisapori. Ludovic and Lucie traveled from Rouen to finally taste this famous Italian sandwich seen on their phone, fascinated by , they tell StreetPress. All this for a name still unknown to many in France: panuozzo.
In just a few months, this garnished bread from Campania has gone from being a foodie curiosity to a potential future street-food darling, especially in its halal version. Between queues, fast-food concepts and viral videos, this sandwich born near Naples is clearly starting to find its place.
A panuozzo, this Italian sandwich between pizza and street food
Panuozzo was born in the 1980s in Gragnano, Campania. Its particularity comes from its bread: a dough similar to that of pizza, flour, water, yeast and salt, shaped into a long oval loaf then cooked at a very high temperature, ideally over a wood fire, describes Food & Sens. The crust remains thin and slightly crispy, the interior soft and well-shaped.
Once cooked, the bread is opened, generously garnished, then often returned to the oven for a few moments to melt the cheese. Classic toppings combine mozzarella or provola, Italian cold meats, sausage, grilled vegetables, tomatoes, arugula or friarielli. We eat it hot, sometimes to share, halfway between pizza and sandwich. Not to be confused with panino, which uses already cooked bread and not pizza dough.
From Gragnano to Mantes-la-Jolie: Trisapori and the TikTok wave
At Trisapori, a halal Italian caterer in Mantes-la-Jolie, the couple Céline Bartolomeo and Saber Benabdalla put panuozzo at the center of the menu from September 2022. Students Bouchra and Maeva summarize the TikTok effect: they explain to StreetPress, after an hour and 40 minutes by RER from Saint-Denis. Céline recognizes that, always with StreetPress.
The products come from Italy, with charcuterie processed in halal units and particular attention to additives. Saber himself learned how to shape bread: he tells StreetPress. Sold for 12.50 euros, the sandwich remains, according to Bouchra and Maeva,. After two difficult years and few customers, everything changed in April 2025 when a video from the influencer Happy Cook presented it as , recalls Snacking.fr: sales increased by 30% and the couple hired ten people.
Streetalia, PMS Group and the bet of a panuozzo made in France
This buzz has not escaped PMS Group. On June 26, 2026, the group opened its first Streetalia restaurant in Bagneux, a concept described as halal by Snacking.fr. On 50 m², the pizza dough bread is baked to order, offered in two sizes starting at 11.90 euros. The customer chooses their cold cuts (veal ham, bresaola, smoked salmon, tuna, etc.), their cheese (stracciatella, burrata, parmesan, gorgonzola, Boursin), their sauces and garnishes, or opts for signature recipes like Chicken Caesar or Veau Boursin.
With an average ticket targeted at between 15 and 17 euros and an investment limited to 30,000–50,000 euros excluding land, PMS Group wants to open 50 Streetalia in twelve months, under brand license, from Bussy-Saint-Georges to Toulouse. The group, already present with Dangerous Burger, Crousty Game and DOZ, is counting on 45 to 50 million euros in turnover in 2026. For him, this half-pizza, half-street-food sandwich ticks enough boxes to merit a massive bet on the French market.
What exactly is a panuozzo?
The panuozzo is an Italian sandwich born in Gragnano, near Naples, prepared with pizza dough baked in the oven, garnished then often returned to the oven before being served hot.
What is the difference between panuozzo and panini?
The panini uses a bread that is already cooked and simply toasted after filling, while the panuozzo is shaped into pizza dough, cooked like a pizza then opened and refilled.
Where to eat a panuozzo in France?
The sources mainly cite Trisapori in Mantes-la-Jolie, a halal Italian caterer, and Streetalia in Bagneux, the first halal Italian Fast Food dedicated to panuozzo.
