‘I worked at Nando’s – this is how I became a Lamborghini-driving millionaire’

At 16 years old Mario Aleppo was expelled from school “for selling sweets during class and poor attendance”, with no qualifications and zero prospects.

Unsure of the direction his life was taking, the born man began working in after dropping out of college and seeing a coffee shop he had founded go bust in six months.

Unbeknown to him at the time, these experiences of and failure would shape him and set him up for success beyond his wildest dreams.

Mario told Express.co.uk: “I didn’t appreciate it at the time but it was a great learning curve for me. I learnt a lot in a short space of time, I got my hands dirty in the kitchen, and I saw the potential and wanted it for myself.

“I knew there was a gap in the market for a traditional fast-cooked pizza, furnished with the best, fresh toppings, so I decided to go for it. I bought the ovens from Rome, the flour from the Amalfi coast, the tomatoes from Naples and the desserts from Sicily.”

Shortly after, the South Londoner opened his first Pizza shop, taking over an empty building in Sutton with just three employees.

Using a passed down from his Italian grandmother, a specialist 400-degree wood-fired oven, and ingredients imported directly from , he soon turned Fireaway Pizza into a success and set himself on the road to expansion.

He said: “Initially staffing and set up costs were a big challenge but thankfully builder friends completed the work and allowed me to pay via a payment plan which helped massively with cash flow issues.”

With success came awards and new stores, with additional openings in nearby and forging the skeleton of an empire that now boasts 169 stores across the UK and Ireland, with an average take of £12 000 a week.

With turnover nudging more than £14 million last year he is now opening stores in , and . He said: “We have a for success and the plan is to keep expanding and I want to get to 400 stores in the UK. I was very proud when we opened our 150th store just seven months ago , it shows you what a bit of hard work and dedication can achieve. I think I’ve come a long way from selling sweets in the playground!”

Today, Fireaway Pizza is worth an estimated £18.7 million and is targeting global pizza chains such as Domino’s and Papa John’s.

Mario adds: “That’s where we want to be, and to achieve that, we need even more investment so we can keep expanding. We want to be snapping at the heels of Dominos.”

Success has changed Mario’s life and that of his family. He has been able to buy his mum her own home, plus another house nearby for himself, as well as a flame orange Lamborghini.

He regularly rewards his employees by giving out free shares in the company to reward those who have shown loyalty to his brand.