Straw Hat Pizza Announces Social Responsibility Pledge

SAN RAMON, Calif., Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Straw Hat Pizza, the original California Pizza since 1959, announced today it has created an updated mission with a social responsibility pledge which accepts the responsibility of turning, promoting and empowering its restaurants to be as "Green" as possible and to encourage others to pursue a reusable and renewable agenda.

"Straw Hat Pizza has been purchasing from local providers that practice sustainable farming, organic and chemical free, along with cage-free naturally raised animal products, for more than fifty years and now these practices will be imbedded into our mission so we can reward positive behavior and achievements in social responsibility," said Jonathan Fornaci, president, Straw Hat Pizza.  "Our new company social responsibility pledge includes a number of details about how Straw Hat Pizza is working to reduce its environmental footprint."

Straw Hat Pizza will vigorously develop and support business practices that encourage green and sustainable practices, such as the recent Straw Hat Pizza franchisee who hired a contractor to change out all of his pizza parlor's light bulbs with energy-efficient lighting, installed LED exit signs, new walk-in refrigerator strip curtains and occupancy sensors for the business's restrooms and employee room. "Our franchisee's upgrades have already more than paid for themselves, and his monthly energy bill is down about $200," Fornaci said.  

Some of the examples of the practices already adopted by Straw Hat Pizza include, controlling every field of fresh tomatoes used in its pizza sauce, hand-picking every tomato from the fields, menu items free of trans-fats, only premium grade meats and 100% chicken breast, rolls its pizza dough fresh daily, uses cheeses free from fillers, controls the wheat fields in Idaho which is grown in the Italian pizza tradition –in volcanic soil at or above 4500 feet above sea level, and uses boxes and napkins from 100% recycled materials.

Besides its new social responsibility pledge, Straw Hat Pizza has been making waves and fresh genuine California pizza since 1959. Using California vine-ripened tomatoes and local produce, hand-shredded cheeses and dough fresh rolled daily, their pizza is fresh and delicious. With a menu of Gourmet Masters Pizzas, Hot Hat™ Stuffed Sandwiches, and a forty-plus item garden fresh salad bar, guests have been enjoying the food as well as the family-friendly atmosphere for more than five decades. Today, fifty-plus years later, Straw Hat Pizza is still making waves and Genuine California Pizza with the freshest ingredients. It's not a trend; it's a history as genuine as their California pizza.

The fifty three year old company currently operates 86 locations and is growing with new locations opening in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, Montana, Texas and Virginia. Growth plans are to reach 150 locations within two years. For more information please visit: strawhatpizza.com  and please follow us on Facebook & Twitter (@StrawHatPizza).

SOURCE Straw Hat Pizza