Pizza is ubiquitous. Estimates say that 350 slices are eaten every second in the United States, so it’s almost hard to believe it’s only enjoyed mainstream popularity since the 1940s. In fact, when Canadian restaurateur Sam Panopoulos introduced pizza to his menu in the early 1960s, it was relatively unheard of. Panopoulos quickly grew bored with the common pizza toppings of the time and decided to switch things up by adding ham and pineapple. The result was a definitive — if controversial — success, and Hawaiian pizza was born.
While the classic Hawaiian pizza toppings remain ham and pineapple, some creative pizzerias put their own spin on the pie. Donatos Pizza, for example, adds some “not-so-secret ingredients”: cinnamon and sliced almonds. Donatos, founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1963, now has close to 425 locations in 28 states. This number includes 175 Donatos restaurants and about 300 partnership locations. The chain is known for its famous thin crust and, as stated on its website, a dedication “To serve the best pizza and make your day a little better.”
In addition to the cinnamon and sliced almonds, Donatos’ Hawaiian pie comes with smoked provolone, shaved ham and pineapple. While it comes on the thin crust by default, you can also request a thicker crust, hand-tossed crust, cauliflower crust, or a more traditional gluten-free option.
Other twists to pineapple pizza
Although pineapple on pizza is hotly debated (Icelandic President Guðni Jóhannesson stirred up international outrage in 2017 by saying he wished he could ban it as a topping option), putting fruit on pizza (or at least, pizza’s culinary ancestors) is a historical concept that dates back at least 2,000 years. And while Panopoulos didn’t invent Hawaiian pizza until the 1960s, a similar idea, Toast Hawaii (ham, cheese, pineapple and a maraschino cherry on white bread) was trending in Europe several years before. So, love it or hate it, pineapple pizza is perhaps both inevitable and here to stay.
Besides Donatos’ spiced and crunchy twist, other pizza restaurants have not only embraced the Hawaiian pizza, they’ve added their own intriguing takes. Hideaway Pizza, a popular chain with locations in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, puts canned mandarin orange slices on its Maui Magic specialty pizza. Tandoori Pizza, known primarily for its Indian-inspired flavors, adds pineapple to its BBQ Chicken Pizza. Even Pizza Hut, although not one of the best fast food pizza chains, thinks outside the box by foregoing the ham for chicken (and bell peppers) on its Hawaiian Chicken Pizza. And Mellow Mushroom has not one, but two, pineapple pizzas: the Pacific Rim (with the notable addition of jalapeños) and the Maui Wowie, which substitutes red sauce for pesto and kicks up the heat with jerk chicken and banana peppers.
