More than 71,000 pizzerias around the country share their support for local communities this week as the country celebrates National Small Business Week.  According to the American Pizza Community (APC), the pizza industry contributes nearly 1 million jobs to the nation’s economy – most of which are representative of small business such as hourly employees, delivery drivers, supply vendors, and local store owners and operators.

“Thousands of pizza shops are owned by local families who employ people within their community,” said Lynn Liddle, Chair of the APC. “Our industry is proud of its deeply-connected ties to local communities and stands in support of its fellow businesses during National Small Business Week,” Liddle added. 

Beginning in 1963, each year the President issues a proclamation announcingNational Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.  The Small Business Administration encourages consumers to give a local business a try – or to order online – to celebrate National Small Business Week.  Today, there are 28 million small businesses in the U.S. and more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.  Small business creates about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

About The American Pizza Community

The American Pizza Community is a coalition of the nation’s large and small pizza companies, operators, franchisees, vendors, suppliers and other entities that make up the American pizza industry.  The coalition was formed in 2010 to advocate for policies affecting pizza companies and operators including menu and labeling information, fair wages, work opportunity tax credit, background checks, tax policies and small business access to capital.

Current APC members include: Blackjack Pizza, Breadeaux Pizza, CiCi's Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Figaro’s Pizza, Godfather’s Pizza, Hungry Howie’s, Hunt Brothers Pizza, the International Pizza Hut Franchise Holders Association, Little Caesars, Nick-N-Willy’s Pizza, Papa John’s Pizza, Papa Murphy’s, Papa’s Pizza To-Go, Papa Romano’s, Pieology, Pizza Factory, Pizza Schmizza, Sam & Louie’s Pizza, the Streets of New York and Two Boots.  Supplier partners include Coca-Cola, Leprino Foods, the National Pork Producers Council, Paradise Tomato Kitchens, PepsiCo, SUTUS and Tyson.  www.americanpizzacommunity.com.