Columbus-style pizza

It has a circular shape, pieces cut into short or long rectangles, thin crust, dense toppings that cover the surface, and, usually, provolone cheese and a slightly sweet sauce.

[2] Pizza was first sold in Columbus at TAT Ristorante de Famiglia in 1934,[3] with thick crust in the Neapolitan style, but the first pizzeria in Columbus was Romeo's, which was opened by Jimmy Massucci (who changed his name to Massey) and Romeo Sirij on Fifth Avenue near Grandview Heights in 1949[4] or 1950.

[5] Massey had worked in Chicago briefly before moving to Columbus,[5] and he may have been influenced by the thin crust style of pizza that had recently been introduced in bars and taverns there.

[5] Within five years, at least 50 pizzerias were opened across Columbus and the surrounding area, and the pizza they served had coalesced into a distinct style.

[5] Extant examples from the 1950s and early 1960s include: The development and consistency of this style is due, in large part, to the work of local distributor Richie DiPaolo, whose company DiPaolo Food Distributors (now known as RDP Foodservice) has delivered not only supplies to most of the local pizzerias but support, advice, and innovations such as improved forms of pepperoni, pre-sliced pickled banana peppers from Vlasic Pickles (developed at his request), and improved pizza boxes.

[12] While there are differences among Columbus pizzerias, several shared characteristics distinguish a Columbus-style pizza from other styles, which are also popular in the area.