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&pizza
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
Founded2012; 12 years ago (2012)
FoundersMichael Lastoria (CEO)
Steve Salis
Headquarters
Washington, DC
,
USA
Number of locations
36
Area served
East Coast of the United States
ProductsItalian cuisine
Websiteandpizza.com

&pizza (pronounced "And Pizza") is an American fast casual pizza restaurant chain, with 36 locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Massachusetts. 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]

History

&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 served as CEO from inception-2015. Currently, Lastoria serves as 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]

See also

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. ^ a b c Anzilotti, Eillie (October 31, 2017). "'We Want To Be The Best Neighbors': &pizza Reinvents The Pizza Parlor". Fast Company.
  4. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Rogers, Katie (April 14, 2017). "Weddings at the Pizza Parlor? That's Amore". The New York Times.
  17. ^ a b Meehan, Sarah (March 6, 2018). "&pizza will transform to a wedding chapel on Pi Day". The Baltimore Sun.
  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.
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