Dewey’s Pizza Blog
We’re Celebrating 27 Years
Andrew DeWitt, Founder of Dewey’s Pizza
Every day is a pizza party at Dewey’s and today we launch our first blog post in honor of our 27th year of serving our communities. What better way to begin than at the beginning? For 27 years we’ve remained serious about one thing – our pies – through the vision of our founder, Andrew DeWitt.
The Vision
For those interested in learning the origin story of Dewey’s Pizza, you first have to know a little about our founder, Andrew DeWitt—known to childhood friends as Dewey. Growing up in Cincinnati, Andrew exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit at an early age. The corner lemonade stand evolved into mowing lawns at his parents’ reluctant approval of operating a gas-powered lawn mower. His favorite endeavor, however, involved making and selling tie-dye t-shirts. The inspiration came from being exposed to the vast array of traveling vendors at “Shakedown Street” in the parking lot while attending his first Grateful Dead concert at the age of 15 (1985 Riverbend Show).
During college years, Andrew worked a number of traditional office jobs and internships, which helped reveal to him what his true calling might be. After graduating from Denison University in 1993, he followed his passion for making music and enrolled in a one-year intensive music program at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles. In 1994, he moved to Seattle with his college girlfriend (now wife) with the dream of making it big in music. In between playing gigs (which were few and far between), he worked a number of part-time jobs to support his musical ambition. One of those jobs happened to be at his favorite pizza shop, Pagliacci Pizza. Andrew was an avid fan of Pagliacci and loved watching the pizzas being made upon picking up his order. With the explosion of national delivery brands, the art of fresh dough being tossed was becoming a lost art. Andrew found this interesting enough to him that he decided to try working there.
Andrew realized almost immediately that the fast-paced energy of the pizza kitchen was an environment that he was uniquely suited to thrive in. Within months, Andrew became one of the best kitchen employees with his eye set on becoming the best dough tosser in the store (or perhaps the whole company). In this environment at Pagliacci, it rekindled his entrepreneurial passion and marked the beginning of Andrew focusing his full-time energy away from music as a career, and towards the business of pizza. This was the moment the idea of Dewey’s Pizza was born.
As Andrew began to seriously consider opening his own pizza restaurant, he began a process of curating images and paying attention to various aspects of his favorite neighborhood pubs and restaurants in Seattle and Cincinnati. He realized in his early ideations of what he wanted Dewey’s to be, that it had to be located in an authentic older neighborhood with original architecture and character. For those in Cincinnati, the echo of Zip’s, Graeter’s Ice Cream, and Arthur’s. Andrew wanted Dewey’s to be an icon, a true part of the fabric that makes an authentic neighborhood what they are.
In 1997, Andrew and his girlfriend, Amy, moved back to Cincinnati, with a clear vision of the key elements that would define Dewey’s Pizza. These included: Hand-tossed pizza made using high-quality traditional and gourmet ingredients baked in stone ovens, elevated salads including fresh greens and housemade dressings, eight local craft beers would be featured on tap, window into the kitchen to share the craft of pizza making, and a small dining room to showcase the pizza to the neighborhood so that a delivery business could flourish. A promising location was identified in the then-expanding neighborhood of Oakley. All that was left… was naming the restaurant. As Andrew pondered Italian-themed names, a friend called him out on his zero percent Italian heritage and suggested the obvious choice, Dewey’s. Another friend helped with designing the original Saturn logo, and that was it!
Dewey’s Pizza’s original Saturn Logo from 1998
Andrew began his search for a “restaurant guy” to run the front of the house. As luck would have it, he was made aware that a friend’s younger brother was available and interested. Andrew hired Joe Schlotman to run the front of the house. Joe brought a vision to create a culture of service excellence that would rival any restaurant in Cincinnati. Little did Andrew know, under Joe’s guidance, Dewey’s would pivot (out of necessity) to the dine-in restaurant that it is today.
After the first culinary review by Polly Campbell in the Cincinnati Enquirer, a local newspaper, word spread fast. Today, Dewey’s is a collection of neighborhood pizza spots serving craft beer, fresh salads, and award-winning pizza. Much of the original intention is alive within the brand today.
The Growth
Under the leadership of Chuck Lipp, Dewey’s President since 2019, we have expanded to 27 locations in five states (Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri). We most recently opened our newest location in Southampton, MO just last month! Featuring a new carry-out-only concept, the first of its kind. This is on the heels of our late 2024 opening in Union, Kentucky, alongside Braxton Brewing Co. and Graeter’s Ice Cream. Each location is a testament to Andrew’s original vision; A setting with character that showcases hand-tossed pizza where families and friends can gather to enjoy.
During your visit, you’ll find exceptional experiences are plentiful. Be entertained by our pizza window, where you can watch the dough tossers in action. The tables can be arranged for any party size, or you can slide into a more intimate booth. Our restaurant interiors have an industrial, warm, modern look for a casual dining experience. The playlist is curated by Dewey’s team members, featuring musical greats such as Ottis Redding, The Doobie Brothers to custom playlists celebrating Women’s Month, and more.
A view from our pizza window – The DewCrew in action tossing dough
Simple yet customizable, our menu offerings are not complicated: pizza, salads, create your own calzones, desserts, beer, and wine. A few of our locations feature classic cocktails such as a house margarita or old-fashioned. Yes, you can customize our pizzas, in all sizes. Perfect for the guest who wants to try more than one specialty pizza. Build the next Dewey’s masterpiece with our create-your-pizza option featuring top-quality ingredients sliced, diced, chopped, and shredded daily by Dewey’s team members. Do you have an allergy sensitivity or preference? We offer gluten-free and dairy-free options. Award-winning salads are an excellent choice as a light meal for lunch or paired as a side with a pizza.
Nourishing our community with high-quality ingredients is the recipe that Dewey’s follows. Interestingly, Dewey’s locations are freezer-free. Fresh dough is delivered each morning by our local commissary crew. We proudly offer only top-notch ingredients, including our exclusive blend of mozzarella from Burnett Dairy, Ezzo pepperoni, and all-natural chicken.
The Story Continues
A slice of The BonBonerie’s Opera Cream Torte at Dewey’s Pizza – Oakley
As we prepare for our 28th trip around the sun, we couldn’t be more excited about our future. Passion for pizza is what put Dewey’s on the map, and it’s the passion that continues to drive us today. Over the next 12 months, we plan to share more about what makes Dewey’s Next Level. We hope you’ll follow us on our journey.