News

LaRosa's Pizza collects $300K+ for employees, then keeps on going

Cincinnati-based LaRosa's Pizza has used its pre-purchase pizza deals card to grow its employee relief fund. (Image: Provided )

April 22, 2020

Across the nation, all-sized pizza brands are stepping up with relief not only for their communities' essential workers, but their employees as well. For instance, next week we'll take a deeper look at three major initiatives that Washington, D.C.-based &pizza has introduced to help staff members not only survive but thrive through the throes of the pandemic. 

In Cincinnati, however, the 65-store LaRosa's Pizza chain has launched its own efforts to support nearly 4,000 team members in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. In fact, the brand said in just three week it has already collected more than $303,000 for its employee fund, according to a news release. 

The LaRosa family joined franchise owners to create the LaRosa's Team Member Relief Fund and gave a $100,000 donation. In less than two weeks, the fund has grown to $220,352 through more than $90,000 in the brand's neighborhood fundraising mechanism, called Buddy Cards, as well as cash donations from customers and the LaRosa Family's dollar-for-dollar match. 

The Relief Fund will directly support all LaRosa's Family Pizzeria team members and will continue to be active until LaRosa's dining rooms open again.

"It's overwhelming to see how our community has embraced this effort," LaRosa's Inc. CEO Michael LaRosa said in the release. "We've raised so much in such a short time; our team members are humbled by this show of support."

LaRosa's was founded in 1954 on Cincinnati's West Side by Buddy LaRosa. It is now a $167 million restaurant company.