Hold the Pepperoni!

It defies logic. Nobody would expect a restaurant with a slogan like "saving the earth one pizza at a time" to thrive anywhere outside those culturally-progressive enclaves like Madison or Boulder, and maybe even Austin. But you won't find a Pizza Fusion in any of these likely locales.

So where's this new pizza with purpose popping up? Try Pittsburgh, Houston, and Kansas City of all places. But either way, a good start for the three-year-old fledgling franchise that's trickling out of Ft. Lauderdale and slowly claiming a national toehold.

You're probably thinking "Organic pizza? Nice novelty – limited niche." But speculators said the same thing about Chipotle Mexican Grill and Noodles and Company, two local chains that became national public trading entities in no time.

With newly-opened restaurants in Hollywood and Santa Monica, Pizza Fusion has two more locations on the way in North Carolina and Arizona. But more than just blandishing mouth-watering shots of all-organic pies at potential palates, Pizza Fusion goes the whole nine yards with its ecological commitment, offering a brand new model for the "fast casual" dining experience.

"We see ourselves as players in the transition to a healthier, cleaner society," reads a statement on the Pizza Fusion Web site, while a recent press statement boasts, "Pizza Fusion is pioneering the organic and environmental restaurant movement as the most eco-friendly restaurant in America."

Here's the abridged list of the restaurant's eco-efforts: With its drivers using company-owned hybrid vehicles for deliveries, Pizza Fusion also buys renewable wind energy certificates to offset 100 percent of its energy consumption. Moreover, the franchise provides health insurance to employees who work 20 hours or more, gives customers a discount for returning their pizza box to recycle, serves food in 100 percent corn starch containers and offers Spudware utensils, all of which biodegrade in 50 days. Once a month, each location hosts a kids' workshop, educating youngsters about the importance of eating organic and recycling. Employing 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, the chain uses only eco-friendly cleansers and sanitizers. Impressed yet?

There's more. Every Pizza Fusion location is LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. To name a few highlights, counter tops are made from 100 percent recycled detergent bottles, insulation is made from recycled blue jeans, seat cushions are constructed using soybean oil instead of petroleum-based foam, while cabinetry is built from Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood products. On the footprint reduction side, heat from ovens is captured and redistributed for both water and air heating, while a special grey-water system traps waste water, reducing water use by 30 percent.

The Pizza Fusion Web site lists more detail about these advances, plus features a "10 Steps on Going Green" page that includes a carbon footprint calculator for customers. And if this weren't enough, on Monday October 5, to celebrate organic food, Pizza Fusion is hosting a national pizza giveaway, with free pizza for anyone who buys an Honest Tea. (See Pizza Fusion's Facebook and Twitter pages for details).

"Now is the ideal time to celebrate the bounty of the organic harvest," stated Vaughan Lazar. "We hope to raise awareness for the season and the benefits of organic food while paying tribute to organic farming everywhere." 

Photos courtesy Pizza Fusion.