USPT members fire up their ovens to feed communities nationwide.
When Pizza Across America returned this February, members of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team once again demonstrated that the spirit of the pizza industry extends far beyond competitions and conference stages. Across the country, USPT members joined hundreds of independent pizzerias participating in Slice Out Hunger’s nationwide initiative, delivering pizzas to shelters, food banks and community organizations during the week surrounding National Pizza Day.
What began years ago as a simple call to action—encouraging pizzerias to donate at least 10 pizzas to a local nonprofit—has evolved into a coast-to-coast effort that highlights the generosity and community focus that have long defined the independent pizza industry.
For many USPT members, participating in Pizza Across America felt like a natural extension of the values that brought them into the organization in the first place. While the team is widely recognized for culinary innovation, international competitions and the camaraderie shared among its members, the event served as a reminder that the pizza community is also built on a deep commitment to supporting the neighborhoods that support them. Throughout the week, team members coordinated donations with local shelters, food pantries and outreach organizations, reinforcing the idea that something as simple as a hot pizza can provide comfort, connection and a moment of normalcy for people facing difficult 
circumstances.
USPT members participating in this year’s Pizza Across America initiative included Patrick Maggi of Maggi’s Pizza; Rico Lunardi of Slice on Broadway; Tore Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi; Sean Dempsey of Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant; David Sommers of Mad Mushroom; and Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria. Alongside these operators were additional members of the U.S. Pizza Team who worked within their own communities to coordinate donations with shelters, food banks and nonprofit organizations, helping extend the reach of the initiative across multiple regions of the country.
Take, for example, USPT members Mark and Kira Zabrowski, owners of Much Ado About Pizza in Pleasanton, California. Known for their naturally fermented sourdough pizzas and the Shakespeare-inspired concept behind their pizzeria, the Zabrowskis have long embraced the idea that a pizza shop should serve as a gathering place within its community. Their participation in Pizza Across America reflected that philosophy, allowing them to channel the everyday work of running a pizzeria into a broader act of service that reached people in need throughout their area.
“Feeding people is at the heart of our business,” said Mark and Kira. “Pizza Across America is a small ask for pizzerias, and Slice Out Hunger makes the process clear and easy to execute. It’s one of the simplest ways we can turn what we do every day into something that directly serves our community. This year felt even more impactful because you can see the domino effect happening. When pizzerias across the country participate, it becomes bigger than any one business. It sets an example nationwide, and the more each of us contributes, the greater the impact we create together.”
They also emphasized that the barrier to participation is remarkably low for operators who may be considering joining the initiative in the future. “If you own a pizzeria, you already have the tools. You have the ovens, the team and the ability to feed people. Giving back through Pizza Across America isn’t just good for the community, it’s a great way to create awareness. And it makes you feel good, too.”
While the U.S. Pizza Team continues to showcase the creativity and craftsmanship of independent operators through competitions, demonstrations and educational events, initiatives like Pizza Across America highlight another essential dimension of the organization’s identity. Independent pizzerias have always functioned as cornerstones of their communities, supporting local schools, sponsoring youth teams and stepping up when neighbors need help. By participating in a coordinated national effort like Pizza Across America, USPT members were able to amplify that tradition of generosity, transforming individual acts of kindness into a larger movement that delivered thousands of pizzas to people across the country.
By Brian Hernandez, PMQ Assoc. Editor & U.S. Pizza Team
