State leaders took advantage of National Pizza Day on Feb. 9 to reaffirm Connecticut’s position as Pizza Capital of the United States as part of a renewed tourism push that has helped to drive a 6% increase in spending from 2022 to 2023.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro hosted a trip of dozens of state pizza makers to Washington, D.C. last year as she entered a statement into the official Congressional Record supporting New Haven as the Pizza Capital of the country. Later in the year, when the state updated its welcome signs on several state borders, its claim of being Pizza Capital of the United States drew ire from other states.
Why Connecticut, and why New Haven? The city is widely known for its major pizza restaurants that have national followings, such as Frank Pepe, Sally’s Apizza and Modern Apizza, and which make a style of pie that has thin crust and is often baked in an extremely hot coal oven complete with charred crust. New Haven pizza sometimes features toppings like clams on a white pie.
The New Yorker, Food and Wine and Eater have all waxed philosophic about New Haven pizza (and, by extension, Connecticut pizza), while Barstool Sports’ founder Dave Portnoy, famous for reviewing pizza places across the country, gave Sally’s Apizza a 9.2/10 (one of his highest scores) and declared New Haven “pizza capital of the world.”
It’s that reputation that Connecticut is building upon as it furthers its tourism push. Starting in March, Connecticut will start the creation of the Pizza Capital Trail. On March 14, www.pizzacapitaltrail.com will offer voting where residents can pick the best pizzerias in the state through May 1. The top 100 vote-getters will be featured on the trail, following other tourism efforts like the Christmas Movie Trail and the Oyster Trail.
State Comptroller Sean Scanlon also issued a report from his office on the state of pizza in Connecticut – it reports that the state has 1,376 pizza restaurants, including 63 just in New Haven, and has the most pizzerias per capita and the most locally-owned pizza places, with nearly 80% owned independently – almost double the national average of 43%.
New Haven pizza draws 2 million people a year to the city, generating $100 million for the local economy, part of a larger $3.5 billion in total economic activity under Comptroller’s Office estimates.
That’s just the start, though. New Haven, Connecticut’s Tweed Airport will receive a new 20-foot-by-20-foot sign in its arrivals area declaring the state the Pizza Capital of the United States; Avelo Airlines, which flies out of the airport, is offering $40 coupons to travelers with the discount code CTPIZZA; custom art pieces like an art installation at District in New Haven and Connecticut pizza-themed Air Jordans that will be auctioned off to support charity; and DeLauro received accustom throne declaring her the “Apizza Queen.”
In a statement, Gov. Ned Lamont described pizza as “a way of life” in Connecticut.
“From New Haven to Hartford to Mystic, our pizza culture is unmatched, and these initiatives will make sure the whole world knows it,” Lamont said. “This isn’t just about great sauce and slices – it’s about the stories, traditions, and rivalries that have made Connecticut the beating heart of America’s pizza culture.”
