Zzeeks is a five-unit pizza chain based in Maricopa County, Arizona, that has always done things a bit differently. For example, the company is dedicated to giving back to the surrounding community in meaningful ways.
When Jody Pectol—co-owner of Zzeeks, alongside her husband, Mark—saw the local animal shelter needed dog-toy donations, she sprang into action. She organized a toy donation drive, asking customers to drop off a dog toy at any of the pizzeria’s five locations across the Phoenix area.
The idea caught on like wildfire. Eventually, AZ Family reported, Zzeeks was able to donate about 1,000 dog toys to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. As one of the nation’s largest open-admission shelters—it took 18,000 pets in last year alone—the organization relies on volunteers and donations to help care for the animals, AZ Family reported.
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“A heartwarming ‘thank you’ goes out to Jody, the incredible owner of Zzeeks Pizza, for her extraordinary act of kindness,” the shelter said. “Your contributions have sparked countless smiles and wagging tails, offering the animals a little extra comfort and joy during their stay. Thank you, Zzeeks Pizza!”
Zeeks was founded by the Pectols in 2013. The duo had been living in Portland, Oregon, where they owned and operated 12 franchise restaurants that had been purchased in 2001.
“Over the next 10 years of working hard, they turned those restaurants into some of the best in the Pacific Northwest,” the company’s website said. “Although they were successful, they missed Phoenix, so when the opportunity came to sell their restaurants and move back home, they jumped at the opportunity.”
The first location was opened in Ahwatukee, a suburb of Phoenix. The pizzeria sought to do things “the old way,” with hand-tossed dough made in-house daily. The sauce was similarly cooked in-house each day, “from the best ingredients, simmering it long and slow to capture all the essence of those ingredients.”
Now Zzeeks boasts an award-winning menu across five different locations, including famous chicken wings that come with 28 different choices of flavor. The standout menu includes some traditional items, along with some original ones, too, including a Dill Pickle Pizza. But what really makes Zzeeks stand out, the Pectols said, are initiatives like the dog-toy drive.
“The most important part of their business plan was to dig into the communities of each restaurant and support those communities with fundraising, becoming an outlet for local charities to partner with, supporting food drives, and leading an annual food drive for our four-legged friends,” the website said.
