Pensacola News Journal features our Pizza Pay It Forward Project

East Hill Pizza General Manager, Aron talks about our Pizza Pay It Forward Project and describes why it’s so near and dear to all of our hearts.

Kindness by the slice: East Hill Pizza launches 'Pizza Pay It Forward' coupon program

Jake Newby Pensacola News Journal, Published 2:35 pm CT, Feb. 24, 2021

East Hill Pizza has built a reputation for lifting up its community when it's down, and the family-owned pizza shop on 12th Avenue built on that reputation this week when it launched the "Pizza Pay It Forward" program. 

To participate, kindhearted guests can purchase one of the three designated "Pay It Forward" pizza options: A slice for $1.50, a small cheese or pepperoni pizza for $7 or a large cheese or pepperoni pizza for $12. 

Once your purchase is made, you receive a coupon that you can turn around and attach to the new bulletin boards posted on the wall of the 2030 N. 12th Ave. pizzeria. 

"You get to write words of encouragement on the coupon if you want to, then you get to post it on one of our two 'Pay It Forward' boards,'" said East Hill Pizza owner Darlyne Zoltak. "And then anybody can redeem it, no questions asked. They can just come in, pick a coupon off the board and then redeem it." 

The new initiative went live Monday. It's designed as a pick-me-up for Pensacola residents who have been affected by COVID-19, are homeless or are just flat out struggling.

Zoltak said the widespread financial crunch caused by the COVID-19 pandemic certainly factored into the program's creation, but the idea to do something like this was actually spawned well before the coronavirus made its way to America in 2020. 

"I saw a pizza restaurant that did this in Philly, with sticky notes," Zoltak recalled. "Their version of this was done with pizza slices and it catered to the homeless. The homeless situation there was really bad. And it just took off. There were sticky notes all over the walls there." 

"Pay It Forward" coupons for slices can redeemed at East Hill Pizza between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The small or large pizza coupons can be redeemed on those same days between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

"We just love to give back when we can," Zoltak said. "Hopefully, we can spread kindness through pizza."

Jake Newby can be reached at jnewby@pnj.com or 850-435-8538.

Full article can be read here.

Words of encouragement can be written to people in need.