Profile America: about National Pizza Month

Washington / DC. (gov) A great many Americans would name pizza high up among their favorite foods, month in and month out. But for the 32nd time, October is designated as National Pizza Month. No one knows the exact origin of pizza, but ancient Mediterranean cultures enjoyed flatbreads with various toppings and seasonings. An Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi opened the first pizzeria in the U.S. in New York City in 1905. American soldiers who served in Italy returned from World War II with a taste for pizza and helped its climb to nationwide popularity. Now, about 3 billion pizzas are sold annually. There are some 70,000 pizzerias across the U.S., among the country’s nearly 526,000 sit-down and limited-service restaurants – according to the U.S. Census Bureau (Image: pexels.com).