Oh, pizza. Is there a single food more universally beloved that is also so incredibly divisive? The most contentious of these divisions comes between New Yorkers and their New York-style slices and Chicagoans and their deep dish pies. Deep dish pizza was invented in the Windy City in 1943 by Ike Sewell, founder of Uno’s Pizzeria. It became so popular that it spun into a huge national chain and inspired dozens upon dozens of other deep dish pizzerias in major cities across the world. So tuck a napkin into your collar, grab a fork and knife (you’ll need them), and celebrate National Deep Dish Pizza Day with us this April 5!
National Deep Dish Pizza Day timeline
The earliest documentation of the word ‘Pizza’ dates back to a Latin text in Italy — back then pizzas were just flatbreads.
Originating from the Italian word ‘pinsere,’ modern pizza evolves in Naples, Italy.
Italian immigrants bring their love of pizza to the U.S.
Italian descendants Sewell and Ric Riccardo open “Pizzeria Uno” in one of Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods.
National Deep Dish Pizza Day Media Coverage
National Deep Dish Pizza Day - Survey Results
Data gathered by a top Kansas City Marketing Agency:
ONLY 2 IN 10 AMERICANS REFUSE TO BELIEVE IN DEEP DISH PIZZA
2% of Americans claim that Chicago style pizza isn’t real pizza—according to them, it’s a casserole.
ONLY 5 IN 100 AMERICANS ARE ALL ABOUT FANCY PIZZA
5% of Americans like gourmet pizza—the fancier, the better. Meanwhile, 10% of Americans are fans of basic pizza—the simpler, the better. 4% of Americans consider themselves pizza snobs.
National Deep Dish Pizza Day Activities
Visit Chicago
There’s a lot more to love about the Windy City than their pizza (though their pizza is a huge draw). So why not use the holiday as an excuse to travel to deep dish mecca? Snap a selfie in front of the Bean, take in a Cubs game at the iconic Wrigley field, and visit as many deep dish pizzerias as you can. You could even rank them, if you’re so inclined.
Or go to an Uno’s elsewhere
Don’t live in Chicago? That’s alright, there are more than 130 locations of Uno’s Pizzeria and Grill throughout the country. It’s in 21 different states, and it's even expanded as far as South Korea and Saudi Arabia! If there isn’t a location near you, never fear, they also ship (we're enablers, we know.)
Bake your own
It’s not as simple as making a regular pizza, but the hard work will make it that much more rewarding, right? Besides, when you make it yourself you get to snack on the toppings along the way. Win-win.
Why We Love National Deep Dish Pizza Day
It gives you more of the good stuff
While it’s very rare to have a bad slice of pizza, we’ve all had that thought—“This is good but I wish it had more [insert topping here].” Well, a deep dish pizza has more of everything: more sauce, more cheese, more veggies, and more meat (if that’s your thing). Plus, a traditional deep dish crust is considerably more buttery than a regular pizza crust. Face it, you weren’t counting calories anyway.
There’s an art to assembling it
It’s not as simple as just having more toppings—there’s some serious anatomy at play, too. You have to make sure that all of the ingredients cook at a similar speed, and are done before the crust burns. How? It’s all about the layering. You put cheese on the bottom, so it doesn’t burn. Then the add-ins—traditionally meat. Top it off with a protective layer of tomato sauce. Counterintuitive? Yes. Delicious? Also yes.
It’s the underdog
Some mean people say that deep dish pizza just isn't proper pizza. They argue that any pizza you have to use a fork and a knife for just doesn't count. But we at National Today are equal opportunists, and we think all pizza is created equal. So we'd be happy to eat what other people consider "fake" pizza. It's just more deep dish for us.
National Deep Dish Pizza Day dates
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2025 | April 5 | Saturday |
2026 | April 5 | Sunday |
2027 | April 5 | Monday |
2028 | April 5 | Wednesday |
2029 | April 5 | Thursday |