&pizza explained

&pizza
Type:Private
Founders:Michael Lastoria (CEO)
Steve Salis
Location City:Washington, DC
Location Country:USA
Locations:55
Area Served:East Coast of the United States
Industry:Restaurants
Products:Italian cuisine
Homepage:andpizza.com

&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] Some locations serve beer, wine, and cocktails.[4]

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.[5] Salis was CEO from inception until 2015. Currently, Lastoria is CEO and creative director.[6] In 2016, the restaurant received a $25 million investment from AVALT, to expand into New York City,[7] 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.[12]

Reception

The Washington Post called the restaurant "the pizza shop for the 21st century", describing it as "Chipotle for pizza". 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. For employees who want it, the restaurant pays for them to get a tattoo of its ampersand logo.[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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: How &pizza Is Reinventing Your Traditional Pizza Parlor . February 27, 2018 . Fast Company.
  2. Web site: We tried a new fast-pizza chain that's expanding across America – here's what it's like . Johnson . Hollis . November 20, 2017 . Business Insider.
  3. Web site: D.C.-Based Pizza Joint That Offers Free Tattoos Opening Second NYC Site . Weaver . Shaye . July 7, 2017 . . November 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171112162642/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170707/flatiron/pizza-opens-nomad-plans-astor-place-fall . November 12, 2017 . dead .
  4. Web site: New &pizza In Chinatown Comes With Cocktails and Table Service . Novikoff . Josh . October 5, 2016 . . November 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181129100352/https://dcist.com/story/16/10/05/pizza-chinatown/ . November 29, 2018 . live .
  5. News: Free tattoos, elixirs and hopped cola: Is this the pizza shop for the 21st century? . McFarland . Matt . December 3, 2015 . The Washington Post.
  6. Web site: 'We Want To Be The Best Neighbors': &pizza Reinvents The Pizza Parlor . Anzilotti . Eillie . October 31, 2017 . Fast Company.
  7. Web site: &pizza Heads To NYC With A Slice Of Social Consciousness . Borchardt . Debra . November 15, 2016 . Forbes.
  8. Web site: The Next Generation Of Pizza Is Descending Upon New York . Wong . Venessa . June 15, 2017 . BuzzFeed News.
  9. Web site: A legendary NYC bakery is teaming up with a Washington, D.C. pizza chain for a local venture . Fleming . Nicole . July 6, 2017 . The Boston Globe.
  10. Web site: Popular D.C. Chain &pizza Plots Up to Six More NYC Locations . Dai . Serena . October 30, 2017 . Eater New York.
  11. Web site: &pizza scores investment from firm with NFL ties . Maze . Jonathan . October 25, 2017 . Nation's Restaurant News.
  12. Web site: Meet the CEO of an up-and-coming pizza chain who is actually fighting to raise the minimum wage . Taylor . Kate . April 20, 2017 . Business Insider.
  13. Web site: Best Pizza 2017 . 2017 . . April 18, 2018 . April 8, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408022302/http://legacy.washingtoncitypaper.com/bestofdc/poll/foodanddrink/2017/best-pizza . dead .
  14. Web site: Future 50: &pizza . 2017 . Restaurant Business.
  15. Web site: Most Innovative Companies: &pizza . 2018 . Fast Company.
  16. Web site: Weddings at the Pizza Parlor? That's Amore . Rogers . Katie . April 14, 2017 . The New York Times.
  17. Web site: &pizza will transform to a wedding chapel on Pi Day . Meehan . Sarah . March 6, 2018 . . April 18, 2018 . April 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180416173932/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/baltimore-diner-blog/bs-fo-pizza-wedding-20180305-story.html . dead .
  18. News: This local pizza chain pays for employee tattoos – of the company's logo . Bhattarai . Abha . July 9, 2016 . The Washington Post.
  19. Web site: &pizza CEO Dissects Expansion Plans, Winning Strategies at MCON . Plumb . Tierney . June 6, 2017 . DC Eater.
  20. Web site: &pizza Set to Move Forward in Harvard Square . Steinbach . Alison W. . October 4, 2017 . Harvard Crimson.
  21. Web site: 2024-03-11 . &pizza celebrating Pi Day with 5 couples saying 'Pi Do' . 2024-05-29 . FOX 5 DC . en-US.
  22. News: Maake . Katishi . July 21, 2020 . &pizza loses trademark lawsuit against U.K. pizza company . The Washington Business Journal . live . March 8, 2023 . https://archive.today/20210920205302/https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/07/21/pizza-loses-trademark-lawsuit-against-uk-pizza.html . September 20, 2021.

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