PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — This Sunday isn’t just Super Bowl Sunday—it’s also National Pizza Day.
According to the National Day Calendar, more than 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year. With the biggest football game of the year happening the same day, local restaurants are expecting a rush of orders.
Watch: This local pizzeria is prepared for Sunday's Super Bowl celebrations:
One of those restaurants is John’s Pizzeria, a Port Washington staple for nearly 50 years.
Walking into John’s Pizzeria, the smell of fresh pizza fills the air—just as it has since the restaurant first opened in 1976.
"I came and started working for him in about 1977 when I was just a junior in high school," said Mike Crowley, who now runs the restaurant.
Mike’s father founded John’s Pizzeria, and what Mike remembers most is how his dad treated the people who walked through the door.
"So many people liked him in Port Washington. We had a place full, and they all loved him. He took really good care of the kids that came in," Mike said.
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Now, decades later, Mike carries on his father’s legacy.
"Yeah, I saw what he did, and I'm attempting to do the same thing," he said.
John’s Pizzeria isn’t just a business for the Crowleys—it’s where Mike met his wife, Julie.
"I started with John in 1978 as a dishwasher at a different location," Julie said. "We've been at different locations but are still here in downtown Port Washington."
The recipe that made John’s Pizzeria famous hasn’t changed since the restaurant first opened. However, the menu has expanded, adding favorites like mozzarella sticks and wings.
"One of our specialty pizzas that we have, and it's very popular, is the Sweet Piggy," Mike said.
With both Super Bowl Sunday and National Pizza Day happening at once, Mike and Julie anticipate boxing up about 100 pizzas.
To keep up with demand, they’re opening early and offering specials on pizza and wings.
"Because it is National Pizza Day and also the Super Bowl, we will have large pizzas at $4 off," Julie said. "And then also, because it's the Super Bowl, we're gonna do the wings at $2 off."
Through all the years and all the changes, one thing remains the same: the Port Washington community has kept John’s Pizzeria going.
"We have wonderful customers—yeah, very faithful customers," Julie said.
To learn more about John's, you can visit their Facebook page, or website.
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