Mixing politics with pizza sales can be risky, but some operators are willing to chance it. Jeff Hajjar, owner of Fuzzy’s Pizza in Katy, Texas, is one of them.
On the one hand, Hajjar’s family adored the late President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, who were, in turn, the GOP’s most famous fans of Fuzzy’s Pizza. On the other hand, Hajjar is giving away free pizzas this month to support his favorite candidate for district attorney, a Democrat, and has renamed an old food truck in her honor.
Billed as Katy’s “oldest and most famous pizzeria,” Fuzzy’s is known for plating Chicago-style deep-dish pizza deep in the heart of Texas. Hajjar’s uncle, Fawaz “Fuzzy” Hajjar, ran the pizza shop, which opened in 1995, until he passed away in 2022.
Related: President Bush liked his pizza loaded with toppings from Fuzzy’s Pizza
Politicians of all stripes have ventured into Fuzzy’s for a belly-busting pie over the years, and Hajjar has never been shy about welcoming them. He has hosted rallies for Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and the Fuzzy’s website features a photo of former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, the GOP-affiliated son of ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush and nephew of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
In the race for Harris County’s district attorney, Hajjar is openly supporting Kim Ogg, a Democrat seeking reelection to the post.
According to Chron.com, Hajjar’s Uncle Fuzzy met Ogg while the latter’s brother worked as a pizza delivery driver in the 1980s. “They’ve been friends even before the whole politics thing ever happened,” Hajjar told Chron.com.
To show Fuzzy’s support for Ogg, Hajjar converted an old pizza truck into the Ogg-Mobile, painted black and bristling with Ogg’s campaign signs. Starting on February 20, customers who pose for a photo in front of the truck will receive a free 12” pizza with two toppings on either thin or regular crust. The promotion will run through March 5.
The truck is parked in front of the Fuzzy’s Pizza store located at 613 South Mason Road. “I got a sign from the campaign, and I was, like, I’m plastering this truck right along Mason,” Hajjar told Chron.com.
Hajjar also introduced a new pizza named in Ogg’s honor: the D.A. Ogg, topped with Canadian bacon and pineapple. It will join a menu that includes pies named for Abbott (double pepperoni and jalapeños); George H.W. Bush (artichokes, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives); and Barbara Bush (artichoke, spinach, chicken, mushrooms and garlic).
Related: Pizzeria owners attend Barbara Bush’s private funeral
Hajjar thinks Ogg has earned another term in office. “She’s had a lot of curveballs thrown at her with [Hurricane] Harvey and the COVID lock-down,” he said. “As a business owner myself, I know how much that can set you back because it was a lot of adjusting for us too. If you look at her record, she has brought the caseload down significantly.”
Fuzzy’s Pizza also hosted a meet-and-greet with Ogg on January 26.
In the Chron.com interview, Hajjar framed Fuzzy’s Pizza as a nonpartisan pizza shop. “We’re a place where any public servants can come and meet their constituents and elected representatives,” he said. “We have people from both sides of the aisle coming, and we respect the office, so we welcome everyone. We don’t turn anybody away based on party affiliation.”
In a June 2023 interview with radio station KTRH, Hajjar is quoted as saying, “My uncle passed away last year, so I’ve been kind of trying to continue the tradition of being involved with the Republican Party and just making him proud from above.”
In that same interview, Hajjar also hinted that a recent burglary, in which someone cut into a wall of the pizza shop and emptied Fuzzy’s safe, was politically motivated. “All of a sudden, now we’re a little more prominent in the Republican scene, and we get this very intricate break-in where they break in through my wall,” he said.
In an Instagram post featuring the Chron.com article, Fuzzy’s Pizza said the Ogg promotion is “our little celebration of justice, community and democracy….Who knew a pizza and a photo could stir up so much conversation?”
