Pizza My Heart (restaurant) facts for kids
Pizza My Heart is a popular chain of pizza restaurants. It has many locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and along the Central Coast in California. The first Pizza My Heart restaurant opened in 1981 in Capitola, California. It was started by two friends, Fred Poulos and Keith Holtaway.
In 1997, Pizza My Heart joined with another pizza company called Pizza-a-Go-Go. This company was based in San Jose, California. All the new restaurants took on the Pizza My Heart name. Today, the company is owned by Chuck Hammers.
You can find Pizza My Heart restaurants in many cities. These include Aptos, Burlingame, Capitola, Cupertino, Dublin, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Monterey, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Pleasant Hill, Redwood City, San Jose, San Mateo, San Ramon, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, and Walnut Creek.
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What's the Vibe?
How the Theme Started
When Pizza My Heart first opened, it had a cool East Coast pizzeria feel. This was a new idea for California at the time. The founders used photos of city streets to create this look. These photos were first shown in a local newspaper.
Soon, a cartoonist named "Awest" helped them. He turned some of the characters from the photos into cartoons. This became a fun comic strip used for advertising. It was very successful and helped the first Santa Cruz store become popular.
The Current Surfer Theme
Today, Pizza My Heart restaurants have a fun, retro surfer theme. This look is inspired by the original locations near the beach in Capitola and Santa Cruz. The walls are decorated with old photos from the 1930s to the 1970s. You might also see vintage surfboards and other cool surfing items.
Sometimes, the restaurants play old surf songs and videos from the 1960s. This includes music from famous bands like The Beach Boys.
Fun Promotions
Pizza My Heart also had a long-running TV ad campaign. It featured a professional surfer named Robert "Wingnut" Weaver. He played a character called Jimmy in the ads.
They also have a popular deal where you can get a branded t-shirt and a slice of pizza. Over one million of these shirts have been sold!
What's on the Menu?
Pizza My Heart sells pizza by the slice or as whole pies. They offer different options for everyone. Many locations have gluten-free crusts. They also have vegan whole pies for those who prefer plant-based food.
Besides pizza, the menu includes other tasty items. You can find salads, breadsticks, and chicken wings. Of course, they also offer a variety of drinks to go with your meal.
