Community, Power….&Pizza!
If you can’t tell from my previous winter-bashing excerpts,
I’m a warm weather kind of gal.
Smelling all the flowers, and finally getting to sit on a park bench for lunch makes me feel a little nostalgic for all those carefree afternoons as a kid, playing outside, going to camp, and
my parents making a slip and slid out of a gigantic tarp and a hose
(true story and every bit as awesome as it sounds… how are we not still doing that??)
There are a lot of foods that might bring about this nostalgia too (like mac and cheese!) and one of everyone’s favorites… PIZZA.
I mean, who wasn’t scarfing a slice or two down at a football game in high school or even better,
digging into that pepperoni while Uncle Jessie and Steve Urkel entertained us on countless Friday nights! (TGIF you officially have your shout out!)
And that same nostalgia is just what the guys over at &pizza were going for when they set out to reinvent the way we do pizza in the district.
I got to sit down with Sam Blum, who works on Community Outreach at &pizza to discuss this mouthwatering pizza place and learn what it’s all about-
And it’s way more than fresh grated mozzarella, and toppings made to fit whatever mood you’re in,
baked so fresh you can literally watch the cheese melt in pools of gooey goodness before your eyes.
At &pizza, they are all about the experience, and for them that means being all about community which makes them our second feature in our Power of Food Series.
Their connection to the city shows up in everything from their name ‘&’pizza to their store designs. At K&pizza, they’ve got JFK featured on the wall, and more white tile representing that location’s proximity to the white house while at U&pizza it’s all about brass in honor of the jazz era when U St was formerly known as Black Broadway.
And (hahah couldn’t help it) they really work to get involved with the community-
In 2014 they did a Buy one Feed one charity promo where they created a specialty pizza and for every one bought, they would donate a pizza (or the equivalent dollar amount) to a local charity like Martha’s Table.
They’ve also donated a Ten Thousand Dollar scholarship to DC Central Kitchen!
They have a list of hundreds of community partners they’ve worked with so far, and Sam told me they’re always looking for more, so if you got ideas, send them his way!
And you’re not going to believe me when I tell you this BUT when I asked him what’s been his favorite charity to work with, he responded with no hesitation
Brainfood.
which- for those of you who missed the first installment of our Power of Food series, was our very first feature!! &pizza hosted an in-house- make your own mozzarella class for the Brainfood students at their K Street location! (how fun is that?) Talk about a skill set!
Apparently they’re also breaking into the wedding business (huh?) No that’s not a typo. One couple met working at &pizza and has since gotten married. They also partnered with Pop! Wed Co. on another couple’s popup wedding at the U St location on National Pi Day (get it!??) So perfect- since she was a math teacher!
AND they’ve ‘Pizza Bombed’ a wedding or two (which in case you’re wondering means showing up somewhere with oh say 30 pizzas in hand!)
So I think it’s safe to say, people are definitely falling for this pizza. If you haven’t tried it- you should. They are popping up all over the place!
And speaking of love – Mother’s day is right around the corner! Don’t get caught empty handed- this year, we’ll do the planning for you. Right now, Carpe DC Gift Certs and tickets are 25% off, using the code MOMLOVE15.