FOOD NEWS
What Was The First Pizza Chain In America?
By Chase Shustack
The earliest known pizza was introduced to the United States in 1905 when Gennaro Lombardi opened what is credited to be the first pizzeria in New York. However, when it comes to national pizza chains, there was one cheesy pie slinger who was the first to discover just how lucrative the pizza market in the United States is.
While it is true that many mainstream pizza restaurants have been around for a long time, none have been around for as long as Shakey's Pizza — a pizza chain from sun-soaked California. According to Shakey's Pizza, Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson opened his first pizza restaurant at 57 and J Street in Sacramento, California, back in 1954.
Just two years after its first locations popped up, Shakey's opened a second location in Portland, and by the late 1960s, the chain had already expanded to an impressive 300 restaurants. However, most of its current and remaining restaurants are located in and around California and parts of Washington State, making it more of a "West Coast" specialty.
During its first decades of operation, Shaky's Pizza seemed to pride itself on being a fun, rollicking experience for the whole family — one that included plenty of pizza, beer, and even banjos. Today, Shakey's Pizza has transitioned to meet modern-day demands while keeping its famous thin-crust pizza, Mojo potatoes, and fried chicken on the menu.