In episode five of Eating History, Adrienne and Stephen explore the battle that changed pizza forever. What happens when a beloved local food becomes a national business? From a small pizza shop founded by two brothers in Kansas to the rise of massive restaurant chains, this episode examines how franchising transformed pizza from a regional specialty into one of the world's most recognizable foods.

Topics Covered:

• The founding stories of Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and more

• How franchising revolutionized the pizza business

• The shift from regional pizza traditions to standardized products

• Why chain restaurants made pizza accessible across America

• The rise of Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesars

• The ongoing tension between independent pizzerias and national chains

• The birth and growth of the frozen pizza industry

• Pizza's surprising journey back to northern Italy

• How pizza became a truly global food

From neighborhood pizzerias to international corporations, this episode traces the business innovations, cultural shifts, and entrepreneurial gambles that turned pizza into a worldwide phenomenon.