CONGRATULATIONS DAYTON’S ORIGINAL PIZZA FACTORY

For Bill Daniels, owning a restaurant is much more than making pizzas. It's about making a difference.

That level of commitment to the community is why we’re celebrating his restaurant, Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory – this year’s grand prize winner of the Great Pizza Give Back.

Since 1986, Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory, located in inner-city Dayton, Ohio, has been dedicated to serving the community. Daniels and his team built the pizzeria with the belief that their job is to make people happy every day, not only through food, but also through generosity.

As the winner of the Great Pizza Give Back, Daniels is excited about being in the position to contribute even more.

With the prize money, the team is planning to form a “Doughlarship” program—a scholarship to local high school students.

They plan to partner with more local foodbanks and churches to provide for the homeless and expand on their contributions to a shelter for runaways. 

They also would like to collaborate with local neighborhood development agencies to create a community kitchen where people can learn cooking skills, access healthy meals and share the joy of cooking.

Daniels feels there is a strong sense of civic duty that comes with owning a business, particularly in the tougher parts of town. The team tries to cover as many bases as possible when it comes to outreach. 

One way they are making a difference is by partnering with local churches and activists to form a neighborhood youth organization that hosts pickup games of kickball, softball and baseball. They kicked if off with a pizza party and after one summer, there was a 40% drop in crime in the neighborhood because kids had something to do.

They donate pizzas to help inner city high school students raise money for prom. They also donate to Daybreak, the local runaway shelter, as well as Friends of Addicts meetings, a support group for family and friends of recovering addicts.

During the holidays they give gift certificates to those who decorate their homes, and they donate pizzas during neighborhood cleanup days. All these initiatives have been ongoing for decades—and we haven’t even listed them all!

Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory and the team’s generosity has reached far beyond the walls of the restaurant and the homes they serve. Daniels and his team’s impact has been felt deeply in the community since the restaurant’s inception thirty-seven years ago. Congratulations to Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory!

More ways Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory supports their community:
  • Supporting local first responders while on duty
  • Offering half-price pizzas for teachers
  • “Buy One, Get One Pizza Night” for families playing board games while ordering
  • Donations to community raffles and fundraisers

Read About All of Our Past Grand Prize Winners

2024 Great Pizza Give Back Winner, woman in red apron holding a pizza
Our 2024 Grand Prize Winner
MVP Pizza, Hulbert, OK

MVP Pizza has been building so much more than pizza for six generations now. By donating pizzas to the local church and schools in Hulbert, Oklahoma—as well as hosting events like Family Fun Day, Movies In The Park, the annual Christmas Parade and more—MVP Pizza makes good on their promise of giving back every chance they get. Congratulations!

 

2022 Great Pizza Give Back winners, owners standing in front of their pizza oven
Our 2022 Grand Prize Winner
Nelly’s Italian Café, Spring Hill, TN

Nelly’s gives back to many causes that benefit humans and hounds. They team up with the local animal shelter and place flyers of adoptable dogs on every pizza box—giving them more exposure so they can find new homes. Nelly’s also sponsors a multitude of groups, such as little league teams, cheer squads, and football and basketball teams. And they go the extra mile to feed the local children’s home every week. We salute you for your impressive efforts and spirit of giving, Nelly’s! 

To say informed about this annual program that rewards operators who make a positive impact, sign up below.