Meet the Couple Bringing Authentic Neapolitan Pizza to Carrollwood

Chuck Merlis
Aug 12
4 min read

Simona and Andrea Sarpa of Sogna Napoli in Carrollwood speak with Chuck Merlis of Tampa Stories inside their restaurant. — Simona and Andrea Sarpa share their journey from Naples, Italy, to Carrollwood during a Tampa Stories interview at Sogna Napoli.

Simona and Andrea Sarpa didn't just leave Naples — they brought it with them, one recipe at a time. More than a decade ago, the husband-and-wife team arrived in Tampa and quickly realized something was missing: the food they grew up with. If they wanted the flavors of home, they would have to make them themselves.

That determination became a Carrollwood fixture: Sogna Napoli, a neighborhood spot where Neapolitan-style pizza bakes in an Italian brick oven and pasta follows recipes passed down for generations.

This is the story of how two immigrants, guided by their grandparents' cooking and an unwavering commitment to authenticity, built one of the best Italian restaurants in Tampa — a little piece of Naples on North Dale Mabry Highway.

READ PREVIOUS REPORTING BY MERLIS: Owners of South Tampa's Viva Napoli restaurant open Spacca Napoli in Carrollwood

The Beginning

The Sarpas didn't come to the U.S. with plans to open a restaurant. When they arrived in Tampa, Simona was working in the fertilizer trade, and Andrea was already a seasoned chef with experience in kitchens across Europe, from Denmark to Austria. Food had shaped both their lives, but in different ways — Andrea through decades on the line, Simona through her family's restaurants in Naples, run by her grandparents.

They decided to bring those worlds together, opening Viva Napoli in South Tampa. The restaurant quickly built a loyal following for its traditional brick oven pizza and handmade pasta.

Watch Andrea Sarpa make Neapolitan-style pizza in Sogna Napoli's wood-fired grill.

Several years later, ready for a new chapter — and a shorter commute — they sold Viva Napoli and relocated to Carrollwood. Out of that move came Sogna Napoli — which, as Simona explains, means "Dreaming of Napoli" — their next step in sharing the flavors of home.

The restaurant originally opened under the name Spacca Napoli, after a famous street in Naples. "It's a big street in Napoli," Simona says. "It's a tourist attraction," Andrea adds.

The Turning Point

Opening a restaurant is never easy, but the Sarpas had an advantage: they weren't starting from zero. Many of their loyal South Tampa customers followed them north, eager for the same Margherita pies and long-simmered sauces they'd loved for years.

Even so, the move meant proving that the same authenticity could thrive in Carrollwood. Andrea continued serving the dishes that had defined their South Tampa restaurant, all prepared with the same commitment to Neapolitan tradition. That dedication meant importing almost everything from Italy — flour, tomatoes, olive oil — and working with an Italian supplier for the rest. Even the pizza oven, a massive hand-built brick model, made the journey from Italy.

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Andrea brought recipes that tie directly to his grandparents in Sicily — the pistachio cream sauce for pasta, the slow-cooked beef-and-pork sauce that takes an entire day to prepare. "Our grandparents would start cooking on Saturday for eating on Sunday," Simona says, translating for Andrea.

Andrea added Italian classics, like his "original" carbonara made with pancetta, egg yolk, and pecorino romano — never cream.

Behind the Scenes: Challenges & Lessons Learned

Aside from finding quality ingredients, the couple says the biggest thing they learned is the value of consistency. "It's a hard business," Simona says. "When you start, you need to create customers and get publicity so people know about you. Word of mouth is the best. People come in, they like it, so they bring their friends. Their friends bring friends."

Looking Ahead: Expansion Dreams

Business has been strong since opening in May of last year — strong enough that the Sarpas are already preparing to expand. Two new locations are on the way, one in Wesley Chapel and another in Odessa.

"It's going to take another year," Simona says, noting that both spots will follow the same recipes and menu.

Finding the right team, she adds, is the biggest challenge. "The hardest part is finding good employees." The couple has also applied for a liquor license so they can offer cocktails alongside dinner.

Even with growth on the horizon, they have no intention of changing the heart of Sogna Napoli. "We want to preserve what we have here," Simona says. "That feeling people get when they come in — like they're eating in Naples."

The Outcome

Today, Sogna Napoli has earned its place among the best restaurants in Carrollwood. On weekends, the dining room fills with regulars who know Andrea by name. Takeout orders stack up on the counter. The restaurant is casual, but the food is meticulous — a combination that's helped it stand out among Carrollwood restaurants.

Locals rave about the Montecristo pizza, which layers ham and creamy burrata over a thin, blistered crust. Others swear by the meat lasagna, the arancini, or the purple pizza — a creative mix of cream sauce, bacon, and jalapeño. And of course, there's the Margherita, still Andrea's personal favorite and arguably some of the best pizza in Tampa.

In a city with plenty of pizza Tampa options — from New York pizza joints to experimental fusion spots — Sogna Napoli sticks to what it knows best: authentic, brick oven pizza Tampa style, made the Neapolitan way.