CLEVELAND — The Ohio Restaurant Association is collaborating with pizza operators and restauranteurs to raise money for a statewide fundraiser called "Pizza with a Purpose."
From Monday, Jan. 25 to Sunday, Jan. 31, pizza shops will donate $1.00 per pepperoni pizza sold to the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which provides grants to restaurant, food service and hospitality employees who are financially impacted by the pandemic.
The individual location that sells the most pizzas will be recognized as “Best Pepperoni Pizza” in Ohio and awarded a “Golden Pizza” slice trophy.
“We are so thankful for all of the pizza operators participating to help raise funds for those in need,” said John Barker, ORA president and CEO in a news release. “The need is severe. During the pandemic, we've conducted polls about the health of restaurants across the state to assess the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on the industry. Recent poll numbers reveal that at current capacity, 74% of Ohio restaurant operators believe they will be forced to close within one year and 82% of respondents did not break even in 2020. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics just released numbers that the restaurant industry lost 372,000 jobs nationwide in the month of December alone and is down 2.4 million jobs since March 2020."
More than 250 pizza shops with over 100 locations total have signed up to participate.
- Ciao in Sylvania
- Maxwells Pizza in McConnelsville
- Gatsby's in Gahanna
- Fat Cat Pizzeria in Lancaster
- Carluccis Pizzeria in Powell
- Over the Moon Pub and Pizza in Marietta
- Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern in Columbus
- Rusconi Pizza in Cincinnati
- Danny Boys in Broadview Heights
- The Old Market House Inn in Zanesville
- Romeo's Pizza in Medina
- Master Pizza in Cleveland
- Adornetto's in Zanesville
- Dayton's Original Pizza Factory in Dayton
- Angelina's Pizza in Olmsted Falls
“Since its launch in April 2020, the Relief Fund has awarded more than 1,300 grants to use for housing, living and medical expenses, and fundraised over $400,000 for employees in need," said Patty Halper, executive director of the ORA Education Foundation in a news release. “Pizza with a Purpose is one of the many ways the ORAEF and generous operators are supporting them and we look forward to the promotion later this month.”
Find the full list of participating restaurants here.
