Pizza with a Purpose
Ohio City Pizzeria: Hope for homeless, pizza for Cleveland
The problem of homelessness and the business of pizza would seem to have little or nothing to do with each other. A pizza shop on Cleveland's west side is changing that.
May 6, 2021
Call it Karma, kismet or just plain dumb luck, but sometimes the universe has a way of throwing things together that just seem to be made for each other. In the pizza universe, there may be no more perfect example of that in action than Ohio City Pizzeria.
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| Ohio City Pizzeria has been a fixture on Lorain Avenue for decades. (Provided) |
The non-profit business on Lorain Avenue on Cleveland, Ohio's West Side, might have gone the way of so many longtime neighborhood pizza joints when its (then for-profit pizzeria) owner retired in 2018 by becoming another empty storefront, vaping shop or other business mildly invested in the surrounding community. But like we said, the stars aligned just right and something beautiful happened: The former owner contacted pizza shop neighbor and non-profit, the West Side Catholic Center (WSCC) about partnering to reinvent Ohio City Pizzeria as a restaurant with a mission to give Cleveland's homeless and recently incarcerated place and a path to lifelong employment and self-sufficiency.
After all, WSCC had been serving those marginalized individuals for more than 40 years by providing meals, shelter, job training and other services. But by partnering with the neighborhood pizza shop — and applying a healthy dose of energy and imagination — WSCC entered the pizzeria business, according to WSCC Executive Director John Litten.
In fact, as Litten said in an interview with Pizza Marketplace, operating Ohio City Pizzeria now as a non-profit that trains and employs underserved individuals in the area was actually "a natural progression." Plus, it helped the surrounding neighborhood not only keep its longtime pizza joint, but also embrace it even more as a member of the community.
And it's proving to be a pretty productive member of the community, as well. According to Cleveland Magazine, the center generated $160,000 in salaries and benefits in the pizzeria's first year alone. And last year, the endeavor also garnered $50,000 in a dedicated campaign to boost job training and restaurant design at Ohio City Pizzeria.
So as Ohio City Pizzeria — which had been operating as delivery and takeout due to the pandemic -- reopens this week for dining, Pizza Marketplace asked Litten to answer a few questions about this unusual operation with the laudable mission.
Q: Can you first give us an idea of the kind of effect Ohio City Pizzeria is having since transitioning to this model of business a couple of years ago that puts helping the homeless front-and-center?
A:The results are very positive! We set clients up for instant success as they transition into the restaurant.
It is so important to offer opportunities to those we serve because in so many cases, they haven't been given these kinds of opportunities in their lives with a support system around to help. Imagine how you or I may have grown up with a family and community who wanted to see you succeed. We offer that community along with the job opportunity.
Q: How did the brand adjust the product/menu when transitioning to the not-for-profit model and how have those changes been accepted thus far?
A: We added to an existing menu extensively as we opened up in 2019 and have been tweaking ever since. It has largely been accepted, though (the pandemic) has led to more substantive transitions or simplifications.
Q: Speaking of the pandemic, it really seems like just as you transitioned over to this new mode of business, COVID-19 slammed into the U.S., which not only made operating a restaurant so much more difficult but also increased the need for your services to the homeless community so much more. So how has the brand survived the transition?
A: Thankfully, we all have been ordering pizza for carry out for decades. So the hit wasn't as hard as it was for others.
It did make us creative about product delivery and marketing. I don't know that we would've added online ordering, for instance, without the pandemic pushing us in that direction.
Q: Describe the typical Ohio City customer and how they differ — if they do — from the typical chain pizza customer?
A: We occasionally have a donor who wants to purchase food for clients, for our shelter, or for first responders and the like. They appreciate the "two for one" of supporting a social service business while also feeding people in need directly.
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| One of Ohio City's pepperoni pies. (Provided) |
Otherwise, our local neighborhood has been very supportive, and is more inclined to support local businesses anyway versus a chain. They've also lived near our center too, so our cause is front of mind for many of them.
Q: What's your price-point for pizzas and has that changed with the pandemic?
A: We really haven't adjusted our prices at all. We were pretty competitive anyway. A pepperoni pizza costs $9, $14 and $18 for a 9-, 12- and 16-inch, respectively.
Q: What are the biggest challenges and also benefits with this operational model in the current restaurant environment?
A: We see a need to simplify the menu at times for the sake of the business and the employees. We do benefit from "growing our own" new employees, versus finding them from the outside in what is a challenging hiring environment right now.
Q: Where is the business ultimately headed? For instance, might there be additional locations in the future?
A: While we wouldn't rule it out in the future, there are not plans to add locations at this time. A recent survey of our supporters did show a desire to have our business closer to them, mostly west of our current location.
Ohio City Pizzeria is located at 3223 Lorain Ave., Cleveland. Beginning today, it is open for dining in-store each week from Tuesday to Thursday, from 3 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 3 to 10 p.m.
