The unlikely rise of a pizza visionary
If you had told a teenage Alex Verisan that he would one day become the face of Denmark’s most talked-about pizza place, he probably would have laughed. Back then, he was just a Romanian teenager looking for a summer job in Denmark, washing dishes to make ends meet. Fast forward a decade, and Alex has built Juicy Skagen into a food lover’s paradise, putting Skagen—known for its beaches and fishing culture—on the culinary map for an entirely different reason: Neapolitan pizza.
How did he do it? A mix of sheer grit, relentless passion, and an unwavering commitment to quality.
A childhood marinated in flavor
Growing up in Romania, Alex’s world revolved around food. His mother, a professional chef, orchestrated massive wedding feasts, and he was always nearby, watching, absorbing, and learning. By the time he was six, he was already experimenting in the kitchen. While other kids were playing outside, Alex was busy making his first dish—mashed potatoes for a school project.
His love for food only deepened as he grew older. Unlike many of his classmates who dreamed of becoming doctors, engineers, or business executives, Alex’s ambition was refreshingly simple: “I just want to make food.”
The leap into the restaurant world
At 16, Alex took a summer job washing dishes in Denmark. That experience opened his eyes to the inner workings of the restaurant business, and before long, he had moved permanently to Denmark. By 22, an opportunity knocked—his mother was offered a chance to rent a restaurant space in Skagen. Without hesitation, the family took the plunge.
But nothing could have prepared them for the challenges that followed. Banks refused to open an account for them. Local accountants didn’t want to work with them. Landlords doubted them. They were outsiders in a tight-knit town, and their presence wasn’t exactly welcomed.
Yet, despite the systemic barriers, they did what they knew best—focused on making great food. Within a year, they were profitable. It was a rare feat in the restaurant industry, especially for newcomers. But their success came at a price—14-hour workdays, seven months without a single day off, and a constant battle to keep things running.
The fall—and the reinvention
After three years, cracks began to show. The transition from a sole proprietorship to an ApS (limited company) was a logistical nightmare. A simple administrative shift turned into a four-month ordeal that drained their finances. Then came the pandemic. While they managed to survive the lockdowns, deferred taxes and financial struggles piled up.
By 2022, the unthinkable happened. Burned out, financially drained, and facing a family health crisis, Alex and his family made the heartbreaking decision to close their restaurant. Years of effort seemingly erased overnight.
But if there’s one thing to know about Alex, it’s that he doesn’t stay down for long.
The birth of Juicy Skagen
When one door closes, another opens. In the midst of his family’s financial turmoil, an unexpected opportunity presented itself—a small juice and sandwich bar in Skagen was up for sale. His wife and her sister saw potential and jumped on it. They began running the café, but fate had other plans. Just months into the venture, they were told they had a week to vacate the premises.
Instead of walking away, Alex took a bold step—he bought back his old family restaurant, the very one they had lost months earlier. But this time, he had a new vision: Juicy Skagen wouldn’t just be another restaurant. It would be a pizzeria dedicated to perfecting one thing—authentic Neapolitan pizza.
The art of Neapolitan pizza
So, what makes Juicy Skagen’s pizza stand out? It starts with the ingredients. Alex knew he couldn’t cut corners if he wanted to create something special. He sourced San Marzano tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius, imported fior di latte mozzarella from Naples, and made his dough using traditional fermentation techniques that give Neapolitan pizza its signature airy, chewy crust.
And then there’s the oven—the heart and soul of the operation. A traditional wood-fired oven that reaches temperatures of 485°C, baking each pizza in just 90 seconds.
But here’s the thing—many of the locals didn’t get it. They were used to fast food-style pizza, thicker crusts, and a different flavor profile. The first six months were tough. People questioned why the pizzas weren’t crispier or why they had slightly charred edges. But Alex refused to change his product to fit local expectations. Instead, he took another route—education. He talked to customers, explaining the heritage, the ingredients, and the techniques. Slowly but surely, he turned skeptics into loyal fans.
From local underdog to culinary destination
It wasn’t long before food bloggers and influencers started taking notice. Soon, Juicy Skagen was making waves beyond Skagen. People were traveling from all over Denmark just to get a taste. Then came TV appearances, features in food magazines, and word-of-mouth recommendations that propelled the restaurant to fame.
Today, Juicy Skagen isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a movement. A testament to what happens when you refuse to compromise on quality and stay true to your vision.
Lessons from the journey
Alex’s story is filled with lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Passion fuels perseverance. If you don’t love what you do, the hard times will break you.
- Never compromise on quality. Cutting corners might work short-term, but excellence builds longevity.
- Educate your customers. If your product is different, don’t change it—help people understand it.
- Embrace failure as part of the process. Bankruptcy wasn’t the end for Alex—it was the beginning of something better.
- Build a brand, not just a business. Juicy Skagen is more than pizza—it’s a story, a destination, and a brand that people connect with.
The future of Juicy Skagen
With Juicy Skagen’s success, the big question now is: what’s next? Expansion? A second location? A full-fledged pizza empire? Alex is considering his options, but one thing is clear—he won’t grow at the expense of quality. His primary goal remains the same: making every pizza as good as it would be in Naples.
But knowing Alex, this is just the beginning. The boy who once washed dishes for a summer job in Denmark is now redefining pizza in the country’s northernmost town. And if the past is any indication, whatever comes next is bound to be extraordinary.
So, if you haven’t yet, consider this your invitation. Take a trip to Skagen, grab a seat at Juicy Skagen, and taste the story of resilience, passion, and a refusal to settle for anything less than the best.
