There’s “pride in every slice” at Protest Pizza & Bar in Washington, D.C. And even after a burglar smashed the front-door window and swiped money from the cash register last week, owners Randy Downs and Ricky Bennett stood proud and unbowed as the local community showed up to support them.
Protest Pizza opened in November 2025 and was voted D.C.’s No. 2 pizzeria by readers of Washington City Paper this year. According to its website, it’s an “independent, queer-owned pizza shop and neighborhood bar” that Downs and Bennett “built to be the kind of place we wanted in our own neighborhood: lively, unfussy, genuinely welcoming and always worth another visit.”
The break-in on Friday, August 21, left the two men feeling “pissed” and “a little shaken,” as they explained in an Instagram post that morning. After destroying the door, the burglar stole “less than $100 from the register and was gone in under a minute,” they wrote.
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“Not exactly the Friday morning we had planned,” the owners wrote. On the upside, however, they felt “mostly grateful. Nobody was here, nobody was hurt and everyone is OK. Glass can be replaced. We’ll clean it up, fix the door and keep slinging pizza.”
In a very real sense, however, the break-in turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Downs and Bennett quickly learned that the locals have their backs.
In a second post on Friday, they wrote, “What could have been just a really awful day became a beautiful reminder of what happens when a community rallies together…From the moment the news spread, people showed up—with orders, kind words, flowers, messages and so much love and support for the Protest family.”
Downs and Bennett live across the street from their shop. In an interview with a local TV news crew, Downs said they aimed to build “a sense of home and security” with Protest Pizza. “So to have it violated by an individual definitely was not a…good start to the day.”
But then more and more customers started dropping by. In-person and online orders came pouring in. Other business owners—some from as far away as Oklahoma—called to offer assistance. Even members of a local senior community popped in to buy food and show that they cared.
“I’ve been choked up all day,” Bennett told Fox 5 D.C.
“Choked up?” Downs replied. “I’ve been crying, like, here and there, just thinking about it—everyone who wants us to succeed and grow and build our business here—and it’s really been awesome.”
The Fox 5 D.C. report showed a packed dining room at the restaurant just hours after the break-in. “The house is packed, the tickets are [coming in] nonstop,” Bennett said. “Just thank you to everyone again, thank you to everyone who’s reached out [and] shown love near and far.”
Protest Pizza offers 16” whole pies cut into six large slices instead of eight. Those pizzas have names like the Buffalo Uprising (Buffalo chicken and red onion, with buffalo sauce and ranch); The Ally (a garlic cream base with mozzarella, spinach, roasted tomatoes and whipped ricotta); and the March on Mushrooms (a garlic cream base with roasted mushrooms, garlic, mozzarella, provolone and truffle oil).
“We did not choose the name by accident,” Protest Pizza’s website states. “The first Pride [event] was a protest. We believe a neighborhood business can serve great food, treat people well and still stand for something. Our LGBTQ+ identity is part of who we are and how we show up. Protest Pizza is a safe, welcoming place for our queer community and for everyone who respects the people sharing the space.”
