Pizza: A Deeper Understanding of One of Americas

Favorite Food
Introduction
Pizza is undoubtedly one of Americas favorite foods. How can one be certain though?
Well, 94% of Americans eat pizza regularly (Pizza Fun Facts). Not only do Americans eat it
often, 93% of Americans have eaten pizza in the last month (Pizza Fun Facts). What is even
more outrageous is that Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day or about 350
slices per second (Pizza Fun Facts). According to the six pizza places in Antioch, Illinois,
Fridays and Saturdays are when people order the most pizza. Through these facts, it can be
reasonably assumed that Americans love their pizza. I am one of those Americans.
Ever since I was younger, pizza has been one of my favorite foods. My mom and I have
always joked about how we could probably eat pizza all three meals of the day if we really had
to. Even though I have eaten it so much, I realized that I knew very little about the food as a
whole. The history was completely foreign to me, and I had become so accustomed to the
Americanized version of pizza that I never ventured out to discover how it changes around the
world. Also, while I was researching those two topics, I came across information that depicted
how much fast food pizza chains have changed pizza, and I became fascinated in wanting to
learn more about it. Therefore, for my paper, I decided to focus on those three topics: the history
of pizza, how pizza differs around the world, and fast food pizza chains. Although pizza is a
very popular food in America, many people do not know exactly where pizza originated, how the
concept of pizza differs around the world, or how fast food pizza chains have impacted our
perception of pizza.
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In order to find information on this popular food, I researched a lot on the internet. My
first goal was to find information surrounding the history of pizza. A majority of the
information that I found was from websites solely dedicated to explaining the origins of pizza.
Next, I found websites that explained what toppings different countries put on their pizzas. A
number of these websites were food blogs by people who had traveled around the world
documenting their experiences with different types of pizza. It was interesting to see how people
react to pizza or pizza etiquette that seems foreign to them. Sherry Ott, a very active food
blogger, wrote an entire post about how Italians eat their pizza in comparison to Americans. It
was a very informative piece that demonstrated how countries have different views surrounding
this universally known food. Finally, I looked at multiple different fast food pizza chains
websites. The main item that I looked at on these sites was how the chains started. I wanted to
know what influenced each founder to start their chain, and, also, what the chain has done since
it was formed. In addition to finding this information, I conducted three longer interviews and a
series of short interviews.
The biggest struggle I faced while writing this paper was my third interview. I knew that
I wanted to interview someone who was big in the world of pizza, so I decided to contact Scott
Weiner. Weiner is a pizza expert who has been featured on many national television shows. In
addition, he is the founder of Scotts Pizza Tours in New York City. Due to his busy schedule, it
was difficult to obtain an interview. When I finally was able to interview him, he said that he
was walking to somewhere he needed to be and that it was a great time to catch him. Due to the
fact that I was uncertain about whether or not I was going to be able to have this third interview,
I decided to go to all of the Antioch area pizza restaurants and ask the employees a couple of
questions. I am very happy that I ended up being able to interview Weiner because he gave me a
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lot of information that will really enhance my paper. As for an accomplishment, I was able to
get in contact with a professor at the University of Denver who has written a book outlining the
history of pizza. The information that she provided was very informative and helpful, and it was
amazing to be able to get in contact with someone with that much knowledge on the subject. A
lot of information went into this paper as well as a lot of time and effort. There were also a few
trips to pizza places and a decent amount of pizza, of course.
When I first decided to write about pizza, I automatically knew that I wanted to research
the history and how pizza differs around the world. As I was researching those topics, I came
across a few references to the impact that fast food pizza chains have had. I then became
interested in this impact, so I decided to begin doing some research on that too. I focus mainly
on how each chain was formed and what they were doing now that the chains had expanded not
only across America, but, in some cases, around the world. After doing the research, I realized
how Americanized these fast food places have made pizza become and, with that, how people do
not fully understand some information about pizza.
Background
Where did the name pizza come from? We all use it when we are talking about this
widely enjoyed food, but no one ever discusses from where this term comes. The word pizza is
believed to be from an Old Italian word meaning a point, which in turn became the Italian word
pizzacare, which means to pinch or pluck (Stradley). Although pizza is indeed dated back
to early Italy, there is only evidence that the pizza was round, so the name must not have come
from the triangle slices that we are so used to today. It could be assumed that there was some
point during the process where the ingredients need to be pinched. Even though it is hard to
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understand how pizza originally got its name, it is quite clear that it fits with our modern day
concept of pizza.
Another word that is commonly used when describing pizza is the word pie. Many
people believe that it refers to the crust of the pizza, but there is an argument that the word has a
completely different meaning. It is believed that the word relates to the Magpie, a bird with
feathers splotched in two colors, a bird called Pica by the Romans, whence the English Pie
and the alteration of Pica to Pizza. The name relates to the birds double color and its habit of
gathering odds and ends as does a Pizza, or Pie, and consists of, various ingredients (Lowe).
This relationship is very interesting and completely opposite of what some might expect.
Although the origins may not be completely true, Charles Earl Funk, a lexicographer quoted in
this article, made a very good argument to support his point.
History of Pizza
When asked where they think pizza originated, many people answer Italy, including
Wendy Bering. When asked if she knew anything about the history of pizza, Bering responded
that she did not and stated, I have always thought that it started in Italy, I suppose, because
pizza is supposed to be an Italian food. This is a very logical guess, but it is not completely
true. In reality, no one knows where pizza originally originated. It is said that there are records
that Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans consumed an early version of pizza. During this early
period, Greeks were known to eat baked large flat breads which they annointed with oil, herbs,
spices, and dates (Lowe). Although this is not quite what Americas society has today, it
seems pretty close. It has a bread base, something to keep it moist, and topping to add flavor.
Even before pizza reached Italy, there were many other documented instances where it could be
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assumed that people were consuming an early form of pizza. In the 6
th
Century B.C., soldiers of
the Persian Empire baked a kind of bread flat upon their shields and then covered it with cheese
and dates during long marches (Stradley). This form of pizza sounds very similar to what the
Greeks were eating. In the first history of Rome, in the 3
rd
Century B.C., Marcus Porcius Cato
wrote about flat round of dough dressed with olive oil, herbs, and honey baked on
stone (Stradley). Again, this sounds very similar to exactly what the Greeks were eating.
Then, in the 1
st
Century A.D., portions of Virgils The Aeneid were translated, and there was a
portion about cakes of flour (Stradley). Although there are no other details about what these
cakes of flour were topped with, it can be reasonably assumed that they had the oil, herbs,
spices, and dates that were frequently added to this type of food in Greece during this time.
Finally, in the 79 A.D., evidence was found of a flat flour cake that was baked and widely eaten
at that time in Pompeii and nearby Neopolis (Stradley). There was no way to prove if what was
found was indeed another early version of pizza because the remnants were found under ashes.
By the 18
th
Century, pizza had finally made its transition to Italy and began to become a
popular food for the people. It originally became very popular in the city of Naples. Here, their
form of pizza was viewed as a quick and cheap meal for the working poor. After the Italian city
states unified in 1861, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples. Queen Margherita
became very interested in this food that the peasants were eating,
she ordered her guards to bring her some to try. After trying one,
she fell in love, so she hired Rafaelle Esposito, a famous pizza
chef in Naples at the time, to make a pizza especially for her. The
pizza he made for her quickly gained the name Pizza
Margherita. This pizza is topped with soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green
Pizza Margherita, Courtesy of
Google Images
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basil (Turim). It is thought that these ingredients were used to represent the Italian flag. After
this pizza was created, it became a staple and made Queen Margherita even more popular. With
its new found popularity, pizza began to spread to other cities in Italy and became unique in
each. It was in Bologna that meat began to be added into the topping mix (Lowe). Also, the
Neapolitan Pizza became quite popular and it brought garlic and crumply Neapolitan cheeses
into the mixture as well as herbs, fresh vegetables, and other spices and flavorings (Lowe).
Even though the actually concept of pizza did not originate in Italy, the Italian culture had a huge
impact on pizza today.
Even with its popularity in Italy, pizza did not spread to the rest of the world, especially
America, until after World War II. When the Italians immigrated to America, they did bring
many of their ideas and cultures, pizza being one of them. Due to
this, there were many undocumented pizza places in Italian
American communities, but they were not very popular among
other Americans. The first documented United States pizzeria
was G. (for Gennaro) Lombardis on Spring Street in Manhattan,
licensed to sell pizza in 1905 (Turim). This pizza place was
located in a very popular part of the Italian American community. Throughout the years,
employees of Lombardis decided to open their own pizza places. Anthony Pero and John Sasso
were both examples of people who did that. Pero left to open Totonnos in Coney Island and
Sasso left to open Johns Pizza in Greenwich Village (Levine). Although these pizza places
were all somewhat popular, the main boost of pizzas popularity in America was World War II.
The main reason for this spread was that American GIs stationed in Italy returned home with a
Courtesy of Google Images
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hankering for pizza they had discovered overseas (Levine). This craving for pizza led to the
formation of many new pizza places and an increase of pizzas popularity.
Carol Helstosky is an associate professor of history at the University of Denver and the
author of a book titled Pizza: A Global History. Helstosky had always been interested in the
history of food and wrote her dissertation on the history of food in modern Italy, with an
emphasis on the lack of food in Italian society in the 19th and early 20th centuries (Helstosky).
She was then approached by a publishing company asking her if she would write a book
discussing the history of food. When asked whether or not knowing the history of pizza would
change peoples views of pizza, she replied,
I think pizza's history tells us more about ourselves than it does about the
pizza. The interesting thing about pizza is its versatility, you can make a real
fancy or a real plain pizza, you can serve it for just about any occasion, and pizza
is popular in so many countries, it sounds like a bit much but I think people love
pizza so much because you can be very creative and the food suits all purposes.
(Helstosky)
The changes in pizza over time are a way to see how much society has changed throughout the
years. Pizza is a dish that was supposed to be a simple and quick meal, now some people have
taken it to the next level and have made it the complete opposite.
How Pizza Differs
There are many ways that pizza differs in society today. One way that pizza has different types.
First, there is the Neapolitan which is how the pizza was originally served in Naples. Although
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this pizza was originally served without cheese, it is now the basis of our modern day pizza.
Cheese began to be added to pizza after the Pizza Margherita was created. The Margherita pizza
is another common type of pizza because it contains the cheese and tomato sauce that is
customarily served on pizza today. Another type of pizza that originated in Italy was the
Marinara pizza. This pizza is a flat bread topped with oil, tomato, garlic, and oregano. It is said
that the ingredients for this type of pizza were stored on voyages so that sailors (marinai) could
make pizza away from home (Israel). The final type of pizza was not created in Italy; instead,
it was created in Chicago, Illinois. This pizza is the Deep Dish pizza. In 1943, the Chicago
Tribune wrote an article documenting the birth of Deep Dish (Chicago-style) pizza. The article,
stated,
Chicago-style pizza may owe its existence to a bad enchilada. When partners
Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo planned to open a restaurant, Sewell, a native Texan
wanted to feature Mexican food. But one of the sample meals that the partners
tested made Riccardo so sick that he rejected Mexican food entirely. Riccardo
suggested pizza, which he had encountered in Italyas indeed many American
servicemen were doing during World War II. Sewells complaint with pizza was
that it was insubstantial, little more than an appetizerand readily available in
Chicagos Little Italy neighborhood besides. Sewell wanted a substantial, meal-
size pizza. After some experimenting, the partners devised something with a
thick crust and plenty of cheese. (Israel)
Thus, the Deep Dish pizza was formed and Pizzeria Uno was opened.
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Besides different types of pizza, there are also different forms that pizza can be served in.
Of course, there is the flat, circular pizza that has been for centuries. Calzones and Stromboli are
the other two forms. Many people think that these are two
different names for the same thing, but they are really not.
Calzone is an Italian word that means stocking. This name
makes sense for its form because a calzone is when a tradition
circle shaped pizza is folded so that the toppings are in the inside
and the crust is covering the outside. This type of pizza usually
takes the form of a semicircle. A Stromboli, on the other hand, is when a pizza is rolled. The
crust is still covering the outside, but this type is often in a burrito shape. No one knows where
the Stromboli originated, so there are a few different claims.
Finally, there are different toppings for pizza. These toppings differ around the world.
For Americans, pepperoni seems to be a very popular topping. It is so popular that 252 million
pounds of pepperoni are consumed every year from pizza (Pizza Statistics). In Antioch, Illinois,
there are six primary pizza restaurants: Dominos Pizza, Antioch
Pizza, Rosatis Pizza, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, and Jimanos Pizza.
Of those six restaurants, five of them stated that pepperoni was
one of their most popular toppings. In other countries, there are
toppings that are frequently included on their pizzas. Lahma Bi
Ajeen is a very unique kind of pizza. It was created by the
Lebanese and is very popular in the Middle East. The name of this dish translates to meat with
dough. This meal is made with minced onions, usually ground lamb, cumin and
yogurt (Israel). In Australia, pineapple, shrimp, and barbecue sauce are often used as toppings
Calzone (Top) and Stromboli
(Bottom), Courtesy of Google
Images
Lahma Bi Ajeen, Courtesy of
Google Images
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for their pizzas, although those three toppings do not customarily appear on pizza together.
Green peas are a very popular topping in Brazil. In addition, pizza
in Brazil is viewed as a formal meal. When they eat pizza, it is a
sit down meal, and they never eat it for lunch, only dinner
(Weiner). Strangely, coconut is the topping of choice for people
in Costa Rica. In France, flamb is a popular topping for pizza.
Flamb is a combination of bacon, onion, and fresh cream. India also has a very interesting
combination of toppings that frequently appear on their pizzas. Indian pizza usually includes
pickled ginger, minced mutton, and paneer. Paneer is a type of
cottage cheese. Fish, including eel and squid, is a very popular
topping for pizza in Japan. People in Japan also like to top the
pizzas with Mayo Joga. Mayo Joga is a combination of
mayonnaise, potatoes, and bacon. Although the people of the
Netherlands do not top their pizzas with outrageous toppings, they do have a special way that
their pizza is served. The Netherlands are known for their Double Dutch pizza. This pizza
consists of double meat, double cheese and double
onions (Henderson). The topping of choice for Pakistan is curry.
Finally, Russia has one of the most interesting pizza toppings of
choice. The most popular pizza topping in Russia is mockba.
Mockba is a combination of sardines, tuna, mackerel, salmon, and
onions. In addition to having different toppings, countries in Europe and Asia also view pizza as
an individual meal. Unlike in America, pizza is not served as a large pie that is cut into pieces, it
is meant for only one person to eat. As Weiner explained it, if three people ordered a pizza in
Eel Pizza, Courtesy of Google
Images
Curry Pizza, Courtesy of
Google Images
Mockba Pizza, Courtesy of
Google Images
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Germany, the Germans would find it odd that they were not each ordering their own as is
customarily done in that country. Although the concept of pizza is similar around the world,
there are many ways that each country makes it unique.
Fast Food Pizza Chains
Fast food pizza chains have had a huge impact on how society views pizza today. The
food can still be considered the cheap, quick food that the early people in Italy enjoyed so much.
These pizza chains have not only changed how Americas society has viewed pizza, but also how
the world views this food. Although fast food pizza chain pizza is not his first choice of pizza,
Weiner stated that the pizza industry wouldnt exist without chains. In the Midwest area, there
seems to be eight primary pizza chains. These pizza chains are Little Caesars, Dominos, Pizza
Hut, Papa Johns, Rosatis, Rocky Rococo, and Happy Joes. All of the information about each
of the pizza chains comes from their company websites.
Little Caesars opened on May 8
th
, 1959 in Garden City, Michigan. The founders of the
chain were Mike and Marian Ilitch. Before opening the restaurant, Mike was a shortstop for the
Detroit Tigers farm team. Due to an injury, he decided to switch
into the pizza business because pizza was clearly in his
blood (Our Story). Little Caesars lead the way to many firsts
in the pizza industry. It was the first pizza company that was
solely a carry out restaurant. Mike also developed the two-for-one
pizza deal, known as Pizza!Pizza! and he also created a
conveyor oven specially designed to bake pizza quickly and
consistently to keep up with customer demand (Our Story). They also have the HOT-N-
Courtesy of Google Images
13


READY deal which makes it so that there are pizzas available when people walk in without
having to call ahead of time or order. Today, Little Caesars is an internationally known pizza
chain and the largest carry out pizza chain in the world. The Little Caesars stores are franchised,
but Mike and Marian try to keep an active role in the success of them. Since opening Little
Caesars, Mike and Marian have gone on to own other businesses in the food, sports and
entertainment industries, including the Detroit Red Wings and Olympia Entertainment, among
others (Our Story). They also created programs such as the Little Caesars youth hockey, the
Little Caesars Love Kitchen, and the Little Caesars Veterans Program. The Little Caesars
website states that Mike and Marian have demonstrated that achieving the American dream is
possible for those who dream big, take risks, and work hard.
Another internationally known pizza chain is Dominos Pizza. Dominos Pizza was
formed in 1960 when Tom and James Monaghan bought a pizza home delivery store,
DomiNicks, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Five years later, they decided to rename the company
Dominos Pizza. A majority of the website discusses Dominos
spread across the world. In 1983, it is stated that Dominos Pizza
sets out to conquer the world (Our History-Dominos Pizza).
Conquer the world they did. By 2000, Dominos Pizza was the
worlds largest pizza home delivery company (Our History-
Dominos Pizza). Besides the spread of stores around the world,
Dominos Pizza also decided to redesign their logo for the turn of the century. The design that
they decided on was one that was viewed as being more human and contemporary. Dominos
Pizzas most recent accomplishment was that in 2010, it celebrated its 50
th
anniversary.
Courtesy of Google Images
14


Pizza Hut is another international pizza chain. The first Pizza Hut was opened in May of
1958 in Wichita, Kansas. It was opened by Dan and Frank Carney with the assistance of their
two friends Richard Beemer and John Bender. At this first store, there was a very exciting
experience while visiting. Guests were able to watch as Frank
rolled the dough with a rolling pin. Richard tossed the dough in
the air from the pie tin. Dan filled the unbaked crust with sauce.
John flipped the pie from the tin during the baking process (The
Pizza Hut Story). Pizza Hut soon became the hangout place for
many teenagers and college kids, while still being an appealing
place for families to go for dinner. Many people liked it because
it was more than just the normal pizza place; it was an innovative, high quality, engaging,
informal eating experience (The Pizza Hut Story). Seven short months after the first Pizza
Hut store opened, a second store was opened in downtown Wichita. By the early 1960s there
were forty-two different Pizza Hut restaurants. Although the website does not go on to talk
about any current accomplishments of the pizza chain, it does state that the Pizza Hut brand
experience resonates today generosity, hard work, friendship, innovation, naturalness, and
fun (The Pizza Hut Story).
The final international pizza chain is Papa Johns. Like many of the other pizza chains,
Papa Johns started out as a mans dream. When he was in high school and working in a local
pizza pub, John Schnatter realized that his dream was to open a pizza restaurant that would have
a superior-quality traditional pizza delivered right to the costumers door (About Papa
Johns). John then went on to attend Ball State University where he received a degree in
business. After obtaining his degree, he returned to his hometown to try to start accomplishing
Courtesy of Google Images
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his dream. Upon his return, he knocked down the broom closet of his fathers tavern (Micks
Lounge), purchased $1600 worth of used restaurant equipment, and began delivering pizzas out
of the back of a bar (About Papa Johns). John decided to use fresh dough and high quality
ingredients to try to make the best pizza that he could. It ended up
helping because by the end of the year 1984, the first Papa Johns
restaurant was opened in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Since then, the
company has 4,200 franchise restaurants that cover not only the 50
states of America, but also 35 different countries. Even after
almost 30 years, Papa Johns is still operating off of the idea Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.
As John once stated, Making a quality pizza using Better Ingredients has been the foundation
of Papa Johns for more than 25 years. You have my commitment that Papa Johns will not stray
from the foundation of quality & superiority upon which the company was built. We will always
strive to be you Better Pizza Company (About Papa Johns).
The next pizza chain is not an international pizza chain, but a local one. Rosatis Pizza is
a well known pizza place in the Chicago area. Saverio (Sam) Rosati was the one who said,
Give the people what they want, a saying that has driven
Rosatis Pizza foward. In the late 1890s, Sams father owned a
restaurant in New York where he served Italian food. Then, at the
beginning of the 1900s, the Rosati family moved to the Chicago
area. Keeping true to their roots, Sams father opened another
restaurant, but this restaurant served Italian Style Pizza (The
Rosati Family Story). After working for his father for many
years, Sam decided to open his own Italian restaurant. Eventually, Sam decided to retire, and his
Courtesy of Google Images
Courtesy of Google Images
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sons took over the restaurant. In 1964, the first Rosatis Pizza opened in a suburb of Chicago.
The number of stores continued to grow. In 1970, Rick Rosati continued the family tradition
and opened his own Rosatis pizza in Arlington Heights, Illinois (The Rosati Family Story).
Ten members of the Rosati family were owners of Rosatis Pizza restaurants by 1978, and in
1979, the family began to franchise the restaurants. The most recent accomplishment of Rosatis
Pizza happened in 1996 when Sam Rosati opened his first Rosatis Pizza in Belvidere, Illinois
marking the fifth generation of Rosati family members serving delicious Italian food (The
Rosati Family Story).
Rocky Rococo is another local pizza chain. The first Rocky Rococo Pan Style Pizza
and Pasta opened on Gilman Street in Madison, Wisconsin in 1974 (A Tasty Beginning).
That is the only background that is provided on the Rocky Rococos website concerning the
history of the chain. What is known is when they first opened
their doors to the public, they served three types of pizza: Italian
sausage, pepperoni, and mushroom. Today, there is the choice of
five regular slices and a great variety of Super Slices (A Tasty
Beginning). Each pizza has hand-made dough which goes through 4 different rising processes,
the 100% real Wisconsin cheese and the rest of the little extras that go into each and every
pizza (A Tasty Beginning). Although Rocky Rococo is only available in Wisconsin, they
have a unique claim to fame. They have what is known as the slice box. This allows a person
to get a single slice of their favorite pizza and bring it with them wherever they want to go.
Besides serving a delicious variety of Pan-Style pizza slices and specialty whole pies, Rocky
Rococo also serves Rockys famous Italian breadsticks, [a] garden fresh salad bar (at most
Courtesy of Google Images
17


locations), and build your own pasta featuring red or white sauce with meat and veggie
options (A Tasty Beginning).
The final pizza chain is Happy Joes Pizza & Ice Cream. Happy Joes is a pizza chain
that is centralized in the Quad Cities area of the Midwest. It all started with Joe Whittys
unrelenting pursuit of a dream to open one little restaurant of his own has own blossomed,
beyond his or anyone elses expectation, into a multi-million
dollar business (Our Heritage). Whitty had worked many
different restaurants during his life, so it was no surprise when he
realized that he wanted to open his own. He soon came up with
the idea to combine a pizza place and an ice cream parlor together.
After finally receiving a $30,000 loan, Whitty was finally able to turn his dream into a reality.
On November 16
th
, 1972, the first Happy Joes was opened in the Village of East Davenport.
One unique tradition that Happy Joes has is that [They] close the parlor for a day and give a
Christmas party for about 180 handicapped kid (Our Heritage). This tradition was started
the year that Happy Joes opened and has continued ever since. An interesting point that is made
is that Happy Joes is still a very family oriented business. All four of Whittys children have
been involved with the company at one point or another. Even though Whitty has taken a step
back from the company, he continues to try to make a difference in young childrens lives.
Despite the fact that all of these pizza chains have been successful, there is definitely a
difference between chains and local restaurants. Of the six pizza places in Antioch, Illinois, five
of them are chains: Dominos Pizza, Rosatis Pizza, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, and Jimanos Pizza.
A majority of these restaurants answered that their most popular pizza toppings were the generic
cheese, sausage, and pepperoni. Antioch Pizza is Antiochs only non-chain pizza place. When
Courtesy of Google Images
18


asked what their most popular pizza was, they answered Waynes. The Waynes Pizza is
topped with sausage, mushroom, onion, and green peppers. Even though it is still pizza, the
pizza that Antioch Pizza sells seems to be a little more sophisticated than the international pizza
chains. To many people, the type of pizza that they decide to order depends on what they are
looking for. According to one pizza consumer:
Some [chains] are really cheap, like Dominos and Little Caesars, and these are
great for little kids and hungry teenagers who eat a lot but dont want to spend a
whole lot of money. They dont provide the best pizza though. You get what you
pay for, just like everything else. I think as you get older (or your family
matures), you come to appreciate the more expensive pizza chains. Oftentimes,
these are the local pizzerias or local chains though. Granted you spend a little
more, but the quality is better and the meal is just more satisfying for the grown-
ups. (Bering)
Comparison of Different Pizza Toppings, Courtesy of Google Images
19


This statement demonstrates the difference of perception between Antioch Pizza and the other
pizza chains in Antioch. Although all the restaurants do provide pizza, there is a maturity that
fast food chains are missing.
Conclusion
Overall, I felt that my research was very informational. I learned tremendously more
about pizza than I expected. At first, I was unsure of how much information I was going to find
about my topic, but I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of information that I found
throughout the process. All of the sites that I looked at were very helpful and contained a lot of
useful information. Also, I was a bit nervous about my interviews. Pizza is not really one of
those topics that you can easily find professionals in the field of study. I was very excited when I
came across Helstoskys name on one of my sources. The article made her seem very intelligent,
informed, and reputable. When I interviewed her, she definitely surpassed my expectations.
Also, being able to interview Weiner was very exciting. He answered the questions that I had
with a lot of detail, and I feel that they really helped to enhance my paper overall. In the end, I
feel that the main portion of my paper will help people better understand the importance of
knowing more about pizza than simply focusing on the slice in front of them.
Knowing more about the history of pizza, how it differs in various locations, and the
impact of fast food pizza chains will allow everyone to appreciate this popular food more. When
I first began my research, I decided that I was going to focus primarily on the history of pizza
and how it differs around the world. While there was much information available on those two
topics, I still felt as though my research was missing something. I soon realized that what was
missing was the impact of fast food pizza chains. These chains have changed how pizza is
20


viewed in America and across the world. In addition, since a majority of these pizza chains were
formed in America, they have made it possible for the Americanized version of pizza to spread
around the world. I feel that I definitely accomplished what I set out to do when I began this
process. Although I was originally only going to focus on two points of interest, I decided to add
a third, and I feel that I was able to make each of the sections as strong as the others, and none
are lacking details.
The result of my research is something that I am proud of. I was able to find information
about the history of pizza that dated back much farther than I thought it would. Although it is
inevitable that some early form of this popular food existed well before it became popular in
Italy, it was interesting to see that there was documented proof that it was eaten well before the
birth of Christ. By the end of my research on the history, I had a timeline of the spread of pizza,
and it was fascinating to look at it and see how pizza changed over time. How pizza differs was
another topic that I decided to focus on. When I first came up with this idea, I was primarily
thinking of researching how pizza is different around the world. Not only was I able to find
information about that, but I was also able to find details about how the forms and styles of pizza
differ. It was quite enlightening to learn about these differences in pizza. Finally, although I was
not originally planning to include this topic in my paper, I decided to look up information about
fast food pizza chains. Many of these chains are popular in America and around the world today,
but not much information is known about their back stories. I thought that it would be
interesting to read about how each chain started and what their goal was for creating their
business. I am very happy that I came across earlier information that sparked this idea for my
paper because I think that it enhances the topic and allows my reader to better relate to the
findings.
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Since we had three updates, I decided to focus on one of the sections for each update.
Since I already had come up with three sections, I felt that it would be the easiest way for me to
find various details on each topic. By doing this, I was able to find a lot of relevant information
on each topic because I was only looking at that topic. I am very happy that I decided to do it
this way because I feel that it was easier for me to focus and to keep my brain from wondering
in multiple different directions. I feel that my sections on each topic were also more clear and
concise because I decided to write my paper this way.
Once I really got into the I-Search mode, I felt that this paper was relatively easy to
write. At the beginning of the I-Search process, I found it a little difficult to find time to do the
research updates. The primary reason for this is that when we first began doing the research for
this project, I was about to begin my college auditions; so for me, the auditions took priority.
After I completed the audition process, I felt that I had more time to focus on finding
information and completing the updates. Although it was still slightly difficult to complete
these while trying to balance the rest of my school work, it was significantly easier compared to
when auditions were on my mind. The interviews were also a little difficult because, for some
reason, this is the time of year when everyone is so busy, including my two pizza experts.
Thankfully, everything worked out better than I had imagined. For me, writing the paper was
the easiest part. Although it was very time consuming, I wrote half of it during a car ride down
to the University of Illinois; it was the most fulfilling part of the experience. As I was writing
the paper, I was able to see how all of the information I have gained over the past four months
came together. I am very happy and proud of my final product, but I am also quite thrilled that
I am finally done with it; I think I will celebrate with a slice of pizza.

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