&pizza

Last updated

&pizza
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
Founded2012;12 years ago (2012)
FoundersMichael Lastoria (CEO)
Steve Salis
Headquarters
Washington, DC
,
USA
Number of locations
55
Area served
East Coast of the United States
Products Italian cuisine
Website andpizza.com
&pizza franchise in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2021 &pizza - Silver Spring, Maryland.jpg
&pizza franchise in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2021
Typical oblong pizza from &pizza in Washington, D.C., in April 2024 Modified maverick pizza without Italian sausage.jpg
Typical oblong pizza from &pizza in Washington, D.C., in April 2024

&pizza (pronounced "And Pizza") is an American fast casual pizza restaurant chain, with 55 locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The restaurant sells personal and customizable oblong-shaped pizzas. [1] [2] They tailor each location to its neighborhood, with local artists designing the interiors. [3] [4] [5] Some locations serve beer, wine, and cocktails. [6]

Contents

History

&pizza (originally called H&pizza) was founded by Michael Lastoria and Steve Salis, with the first shop opening in July 2012 on H Street in Northeast, Washington, D.C. [7] Salis was CEO from inception until 2015. Currently, Lastoria is CEO and creative director. [3] In 2016, the restaurant received a $25 million investment from AVALT, to expand into New York City, [4] opening its first location there in June 2017. [8] In July 2017, &pizza and the bakery Milk Bar announced a joint venture, to open in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. [9] In October 2017, &pizza announced funding from RSE Ventures. [10] [11]

The restaurant has advocated in Congress for a $15 minimum wage by 2023. [3] [4] [12]

Reception

The Washington Post called the restaurant "the pizza shop for the 21st century", describing it as "Chipotle for pizza". [7] It was named best pizza in the Washington City Paper Best of D.C. in 2017; [13] was #12 on the Restaurant Business 2017 Future 50 list of fastest-growing small concept restaurants; [14] and was on the Fast Company World's Most Innovative Companies 2018 list. [15]

Marketing

Since 2015, the restaurant has held an annual Pi Day tradition, where they hold weddings in their pizza shops, offering free pizza, cake, alcohol, officiants and photography. [16] [17] In 2018, &pizza hosted over a dozen weddings at locations in DC, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia. [17] For employees who want it, the restaurant pays for them to get a tattoo of its ampersand logo. [16] [18] [19] The advocacy group Our Harvard Square has criticized &pizza for encouraging tattoos of its logo on employees and for referring to employees as "tribe members". [20] Also on this day, pizza pies will be discounted to $3.14 for all loyalty members. [21]

The restaurant chain filed a trademark dispute against @pizza, a UK-based chain. In 2020, the claim for trespassing and copyright infringement was dismissed after a three year court battle involving the District Court and the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chipotle Mexican Grill</span> American Mexican restaurant chain

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., often known simply as Chipotle, is an international chain of fast casual restaurants specializing in bowls, tacos, and Mission burritos made to order in front of the customer. As of June 30, 2024, Chipotle has 3,500 restaurants. Its name derives from chipotle, the Nahuatl name for a smoked and dried jalapeño chili pepper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papa John's</span> Pizza restaurant chain

Papa John's International, Inc., d/b/a Papa Johns, is an American pizza restaurant chain. As of 2023, it is the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States, with headquarters in the Louisville, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domino's</span> American multinational pizza restaurant chain

Domino's Pizza, Inc., commonly referred to as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware-domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Township, near Ann Arbor, Michigan. As of 2018, Domino's had approximately 15,000 stores, with 5,649 in the United States, 1,500 in India, and 1,249 in the United Kingdom. Domino's has stores in over 83 countries and 5,701 cities worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Table Pizza</span> American Pizzas Parlor Chain

Round Table Pizza is a chain and franchise of pizza parlours in the Western United States. The first Round Table Pizza restaurant was opened in 1959, and the company has over 400 restaurants. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papa Gino's</span> Restaurant chain based in Dedham, Massachusetts

Papa Gino's, Inc. is a restaurant chain based in Dedham, Massachusetts, specializing in traditional thin crust pizza along with pasta, subs, salads, and a variety of appetizers. As of 2023, there are 79 Papa Gino's locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakey's Pizza</span> Pizzeria restaurant chain based in the United States

Shakey's Pizza is a pizza restaurant chain based in the United States and the Philippines. Founded in 1954, it was the first franchise pizza chain in the United States. In 1968, the chain had 342 locations. The chain had about 500 stores globally, and 58 in the United States, as of July 2019. Currently, the stores can be found in the states of California and Washington, as well as in the Philippines, Singapore and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godfather's Pizza</span> American restaurant chain

Godfather's Pizza is an American privately owned restaurant chain headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, that operates fast casual Italian franchises and pizza express locations. It's slogan is "A Pizza You Can't Refuse."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kramers (bookstore)</span> Independent bookstore in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C., United States

Kramers is an independent bookstore and cafe in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Since its founding in 1976 by Bill Kramer, Henry Posner, and David Tenney, Kramer's has become a local institution and meeting place for neighborhood residents, authors, and politicians. It was one of the first bookstores in the country to feature a cafe which influenced similar business models nationwide. Notable people that have visited Kramer's include Barack Obama, Andy Warhol, Maya Angelou, and Monica Lewinsky, whose purchases at the bookstore attracted national attention during the Lewinsky scandal investigation and led to a high-profile legal battle. Kramers was sold in 2016 to Steve Salis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sbarro</span> American pizzeria chain

Sbarro, LLC is an American fast food restaurant that specializes in New York–style pizza sold by the slice and other Italian-American cuisine. In 2011, the company was ranked 15th in foreign sales among U.S.-based quick-serve and fast-casual companies by QSR Magazine. In 2008, Sbarro was rated the No. 1 Quick Service Restaurant in the Italian segment by Entrepreneur magazine. However, diners and critics have criticized the quality of the food, with some suggesting a link between food quality and the company's two bankruptcies. Sbarro has over 600 locations in 28 countries. Sbarro stores are located in shopping malls, airports, service areas, and college campuses, as well as in The Pentagon, American naval bases, and casinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Così (restaurant)</span> American fast-casual restaurant chain

Così, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is an American fast-casual restaurant chain that is known for its homemade flatbread. The name comes from the opera Così fan tutte, which was a favorite of the original owner. As of November 2020, the company operated 20 locations in New York, Washington D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, down from 66 at the beginning of the year. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020.

Cicis Pizza, formerly known as CiCi's Pizza and Cicis, is an American chain of buffet restaurants based in Coppell, Texas, specializing in pizza. The company was founded in 1985, and started franchising by 1987. In November 2015, the company began a new marketing campaign which included the renaming of the company to Cicis, and a redesigned logo and website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capriotti's</span> American fast casual restaurant chain

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, Inc. is a fast casual restaurant chain in the United States. The restaurant chain was founded in Wilmington, Delaware in 1976. Capriotti's has 112 company-owned and franchise locations in 27 states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry's Subs & Pizza</span> American fast casual restaurant chain

Jerry's Subs & Pizza is an American fast casual sandwich and pizza restaurant chain based in Maryland; it has 3 open locations as of July 2024.

Kahala Brands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada-based MTY Food Group Inc. of Montreal, Quebec. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kahala is one of North America's largest holding company of franchise fast food restaurant companies. In May 2016, the publicly traded Canadian MTY Food Group announced a friendly takeover deal with the Kahala Brands. MTY agreed to pay about US$300 million to acquire Kahala. The two companies generated nearly $2 billion in revenues in the previous year. Jeff Smit was chosen to lead the US operations of MTY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Krust</span> American fast food chain and manufacturer of Caribbean cuisine

Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery, Inc. is a Caribbean fast casual restaurant operator and manufacturer of Caribbean cuisine including Jamaican food, Jamaican patty, and other baked goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pie Five</span> American restaurant chain

Pie Five Pizza is an American fast casual restaurant chain specializing in personal pizza. The brand is owned by Rave Restaurant Group, which also owns Pizza Inn. As of July 2021, Pie Five operates 33 restaurants with locations in the following states: Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas.

Jollibee Foods Corporation is a Philippine multinational company headquartered in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. JFC is the owner of the fast food brand Jollibee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MOD Pizza</span> American fast-casual pizza chain

MOD Pizza is an American fast-casual pizza restaurant chain based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2008, MOD has more than 560 locations as of December 2023 in the United States and two locations in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk Bar (bakery)</span> Restaurant chain

Milk Bar is a chain of dessert and bakery restaurants in the United States, founded by chef Christina Tosi. As of 2024, the chain has branches in New York City; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; Bellevue and Chicago.

Steve Salis is an American entrepreneur, co-founder of &pizza, and the founder of Sizzle Acquisition and Salis Holdings.

References

  1. ↑ "How &pizza Is Reinventing Your Traditional Pizza Parlor". Fast Company. February 27, 2018.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Hollis (November 20, 2017). "We tried a new fast-pizza chain that's expanding across America – here's what it's like". Business Insider.
  3. 1 2 3 Anzilotti, Eillie (October 31, 2017). "'We Want To Be The Best Neighbors': &pizza Reinvents The Pizza Parlor". Fast Company .
  4. 1 2 3 Borchardt, Debra (November 15, 2016). "&pizza Heads To NYC With A Slice Of Social Consciousness". Forbes .
  5. ↑ Weaver, Shaye (July 7, 2017). "D.C.-Based Pizza Joint That Offers Free Tattoos Opening Second NYC Site". DNAinfo . Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  6. ↑ Novikoff, Josh (October 5, 2016). "New &pizza In Chinatown Comes With Cocktails and Table Service". DCist . Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  7. 1 2 McFarland, Matt (December 3, 2015). "Free tattoos, elixirs and hopped cola: Is this the pizza shop for the 21st century?". The Washington Post .
  8. ↑ Wong, Venessa (June 15, 2017). "The Next Generation Of Pizza Is Descending Upon New York". BuzzFeed News .
  9. ↑ Fleming, Nicole (July 6, 2017). "A legendary NYC bakery is teaming up with a Washington, D.C. pizza chain for a local venture". The Boston Globe .
  10. ↑ Dai, Serena (October 30, 2017). "Popular D.C. Chain &pizza Plots Up to Six More NYC Locations". Eater New York .
  11. ↑ Maze, Jonathan (October 25, 2017). "&pizza scores investment from firm with NFL ties". Nation's Restaurant News .
  12. ↑ Taylor, Kate (April 20, 2017). "Meet the CEO of an up-and-coming pizza chain who is actually fighting to raise the minimum wage". Business Insider .
  13. ↑ "Best Pizza 2017". Washington City Paper . 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Future 50: &pizza". Restaurant Business. 2017.
  15. ↑ "Most Innovative Companies: &pizza". Fast Company. 2018.
  16. 1 2 Rogers, Katie (April 14, 2017). "Weddings at the Pizza Parlor? That's Amore". The New York Times .
  17. 1 2 Meehan, Sarah (March 6, 2018). "&pizza will transform to a wedding chapel on Pi Day". The Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  18. ↑ Bhattarai, Abha (July 9, 2016). "This local pizza chain pays for employee tattoos – of the company's logo". The Washington Post.
  19. ↑ Plumb, Tierney (June 6, 2017). "&pizza CEO Dissects Expansion Plans, Winning Strategies at MCON". DC Eater.
  20. ↑ Steinbach, Alison W. (October 4, 2017). "&pizza Set to Move Forward in Harvard Square". Harvard Crimson .
  21. ↑ "&pizza celebrating Pi Day with 5 couples saying 'Pi Do'". FOX 5 DC. March 11, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  22. ↑ Maake, Katishi (July 21, 2020). "&pizza loses trademark lawsuit against U.K. pizza company". The Washington Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.