1948 – The first pizzeria opened in Canada in Montreal’s Little Italy. Pizzeria Napoletana is still operating today, though it now serves more than two kinds of pizza!
1957 – Gino Manza and Frank Gualtieri opened the Italian diner Volcano in Windsor, developing the WIndsor-style pizza. Today the city has more pizzerias per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
1950s? – Pizzaghetti (a personal pan pizza split in half and served with spaghetti and marinara) was invented in Montreal and apparently remains popular at many casual restaurants.
Late 1950s – Pizza delivery became common.
1962 – Sotirios “Sam” Panopoulos, a Greek immigrant, invented Hawaiian pizza at his restaurant Satellite in Chatham, Ontario, where he also served Chinese food.
1964 – Pizza Pops were invented in Manitoba. (The brand was bought by Pillsbury in 1987.)
1964 – The first Boston Pizza was opened in Edmonton by Greek immigrant Gus Agioritis; there are now over 365 locations.
1967 – Michael Overs founded the first Pizza Pizza in Toronto. This chain has more than 750 locations and expanded to Mexico in 2023.
1968 – The first international Pizza Hut opened in Canada.
1960s – Demetre “Jim” Kouyas and George Kouyas (from Greece) opened Sam’s Pizza in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, making pizzas with their unique brown sauce, now known as the regional variation Pictou County pizza.
1960s-1970s – Garlic fingers were invented in Halifax.
1970 – The Kolitsas brothers (Greek immigrants!) opened the first Houston Pizza in Regina, developing Regina-style pizza, which is cut into squares.
Sources
- “10 delicious moments in Canadian pizza, from the first pizzeria to the Hawaiian” by Laura Brehaut via National Post
- “Pizzaghetti Is A Montreal ‘Mess’terpiece With Mysterious Origins — Here’s Why It Stuck Around” via MTL Blog
- “Pizza Takeout History: A Food Historian’s Slice Of Pizza Delivery Origins And Transformation” via Canada Takeout