Marion's Piazza facts for kids
Marion's Piazza is a very popular pizzeria (pizza restaurant) that started in Dayton, Ohio. It was founded in 1965 by a person named Marion Glass. Today, there are nine Marion's Piazza restaurants around the Dayton area.
Marion's son, Roger Glass, became the leader of the company after his father passed away in 2006. Roger continued to run the company until he passed away in August 2022. Marion's Piazza is famous for its special Dayton-style pizza. In 2017, a magazine called Pizza Today named it the best independent pizza chain based on how much pizza they sold.
How Marion's Piazza Started
Marion's Piazza opened its doors on August 19, 1965. The founder, Marion Glass, used to own three restaurants for another pizza chain called Cassano's Pizza King. Marion wanted to create his own restaurant where people could sit down and eat. Most other places at the time only offered delivery or carry-out.
Before Marion started his own place, there was a bit of a business disagreement in the pizza world. Another person who owned a Cassano's restaurant, Ron Holp, decided to start his own pizza place. This led to some legal issues between Holp and Cassano's. After Ron Holp won his case, Marion Glass asked him if he could buy pizza dough for his new restaurant. Ron didn't sell the dough, but his wife kindly showed Marion how to make it himself.
By 2018, Marion's Piazza was selling about one million pizzas every year! A magazine for the pizza industry, PMQ magazine, even added them to its Hall of Fame.
Special 1965 Price Days
Every five years, Marion's Piazza has a special day where they sell their pizzas at the same prices they had in 1965. For example, on these days, a small cheese pizza might cost only $0.80, and a large deluxe pizza could be $2.50. It's a fun way to celebrate their history!
Celebrity Photos on the Walls
One of the coolest things about every Marion's Piazza restaurant is the many photos on the walls. From 1966 to 1995, a theater group called the Kenley Players would have parties at Marion's after their summer shows.
Today, the walls are covered with black and white pictures from these parties. Many of the photos are signed by famous people! You can see pictures of celebrities like Paul Lynde, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Sandy Duncan, Sally Field, McLean Stevenson, Barry Williams, Gary Sandy, Loni Anderson, Robert Goulet, Mickey Rooney, William Shatner, Tim Conway, Morgan Fairchild, Dom DeLuise, Joyce DeWitt, Billy Crystal, Bill Bixby, Karla DeVito, Rip Taylor, and George Hamilton. These photos show how long Marion's Piazza has been a special place in the Dayton area.
See also
- St. Louis-style pizza – a type of pizza that also often has square slices, similar to Marion's.
