Columbus Declares War on Normal Pizza by Slicing It Wrong Since 1929
KEY POINTS
- â˘Tat Ristorante Di Famiglia introduced snack-style Columbus-style pizza in 1929 near the city airport area called Flytown.
- â˘Jimmy Massey and Romeo Sirij opened the first dedicated Columbus pizzeria mid-20th century, blending Chicagoâs tavern-style cuts with local thin crusts.
- â˘Donatos founder Jim Grote invented pepperoni slicing machines, insisted on perfect topping distribution, and won a $5 million lawsuit over 'edge to edge' claims.
In Columbus, Ohio, where breaking pizza rules is a local sport, thin-crust pies are scored with roller dockers to gently stab the dough into submission, preventing pesky bubbles like a pizzeria version of Botox. The family-run pizza dynasty dates back to 1929âs Tat Ristorante Di Famiglia in Flytown, proving even airport-adjacent neighborhoods can birth culinary legends. Jimmy Massey and Romeo Sirij kicked off the city's love affair with square slices in the mid-20th century, probably inspired by Massey lurking in Chicago bars thinking sharing pizza was a public service. Columbus pizzas pack an absurdly proud pepperoni punch â Massey's piles on 155 slices per pie, while Donatos insists on a hundred. Donatos founder Jim Grote, obsessed enough to invent the Peppamatic pepperoni dispenser, took Pizza Hut to court and won a $5 million settlement in 1996 over 'edge to edge' pizza claims, proving nothing comes between Columbus and their crust toppings. All of this craft pizza passion fuels Ohio State football fansâ carb cravings with pies hovering around $20 â a down-to-earth price for feeding enthusiastic crowds who debate weather, OSU football, and, profoundly, pizza. Columbus-style pizza might not be New York or Chicago famous yet, but it's quietly rolling out squares, stealing hearts, and pepperonizing Midwest menus.
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(1 of 3)Only in Columbus does pizza come with an industrial pepperoni count and lawsuits about having too much edge coverage. Itâs like a Midwestern mafia of cheese and pepperoni.
Columbus pizza: where the crust is thin, the cheddar provolone, and the lawsuits spicier than any topping.
Masseyâs serves 155 pepperoni slices per pie, because apparently pizza is just an excuse to hoard meat.
Source: Eater | Published: 3/17/2026 | Author: Gloria Dawson
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