Northwest Ohio pizza fans will soon have a new reason to plan their next food crawl. According to The Blade, the new Toledo Pizza Passport program is launching January 12, offering a self-guided tasting tour of 10 local pizzerias and Italian restaurants across Toledo, Maumee, Sylvania Township, Springfield Township and Whitehouse.
The passport is modeled after a similar program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which was launched by The Blade’s sister publication, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Priced at $25, includes a complimentary slice or designated menu item at each participating location. Only 250 passports will be sold, and they’ll be mailed directly to participants.
Heather Pacheco, associate director of events at The Blade, said the program is designed to both celebrate the region’s pizza scene and drive traffic to independent restaurants. “It’s a great stocking stuffer and supports local businesses,” Pacheco told The Blade.
Several restaurant owners participating in the passport believe the program will offer more than just short-term sales—that it can be a bona fide word-of-mouth driver.
Lyndsy Miller, owner of Amie’s Pizza Factory in Sylvania Township, said the passport could spark curiosity among customers dining together. “If one customer has a passport and another doesn’t, the one who doesn’t will want to know how to get one,” Miller told The Blade.
Because Amie’s doesn’t sell pizza by the slice, the restaurant created a special 4-inch personal pizza option for passport holders.
At Half Time Pizza, co-owner Rachel Snyder echoed a similar sentiment and said the goal is simple: introduce new customers to the brand. “We want them to get a taste of us,” Snyder said to The Blade. Half Time Pizza, which opened just before the pandemic, has since earned multiple awards at local pizza competitions and continues to rely heavily on grassroots marketing.
Passport holders can begin visiting restaurants January 12 and have until February 27—about seven weeks—to redeem all 10 stops.
Each passport includes a dedicated page for every restaurant, outlining what’s included and when visits are valid. While the featured pizza items are included, drinks and additional menu items must be purchased separately. Each participant, regardless of age, must have their own passport.
As an added incentive, participants aged 18 and older can scan a QR code at each stop for a chance to win a Gozney Roccbox outdoor pizza oven, valued at $500. The oven is being donated by Ace Hardware of Sylvania, according to The Blade.
The inaugural Toledo Pizza Passport includes the following locations:
