EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy National Pizza Month! This October, we are celebrating America’s favorite food and the people who make it by featuring pizzerias that give back to their communities.
Dewey’s Pizza
Midwest
deweyspizza.com
The purpose statement at Dewey’s Pizza begins: “We nourish our community.” In 2009, a group of Dewey’s team members coined the term “DewMore,” which describes the giving spirit of the pizzeria with 27 locations across the Midwest.
“Our giving focuses on the places and people closest to home,” explains Stephanie McCall, director of Marketing for Dewey’s. The brand supports schools, youth programs and community organizations with four main focus areas:
Run to Raise Dough 5K: This event held every August donates roughly $40,000 per year to local organizations working to end the stigma of mental illness across Dewey’s six markets. Dewey’s Team members selected mental health as a cause they wanted to support.
Product and Gift Card Donations: A simple, effective way to enhance community events.
Giveback Nights: Dine-to-donate events, where Dewey’s gives back an average of 20% to each participating organization.
Courtesy of Dewey’s Pizza
Pizza for a Purpose: Certain months are dedicated to supporting specific causes at Dewey’s. For example, in November, the pizzeria donates a portion of Dr. Dre Pizza sales to T1D, an organization focused on combating juvenile diabetes.
“This is especially meaningful to us, as we lost Kitchen Manager Andre Howard, creator of the Dr. Dre Pizza, to diabetes. It’s our way of honoring him each year,” McCall tells Pizza Today.
Through the above efforts, Dewey’s donated more than $170,000 to nonprofit groups in 2024. To celebrate their wins, the pizza company produces a Giving Report at the end of each year.
In addition to company-wide initiatives, Dewey’s takes pride in individual team members efforts to make a difference in the community. For example, a member of the human resources team chaired the annual fundraiser for the A Kid Again Foundation in Columbus, Ohio.
“Her personal passion aligned perfectly with Dewey’s purpose, and that’s exactly where we choose to double down – nourishing our internal community while also giving back to nonprofits that make a real difference in our neighborhoods,” McCall says. “Those moments remind us that our DewMore efforts leave a lasting legacy”
