Pizza Bites: The Day Pizza Became American

Welcome to the grand finale of Pizza Bites! After an entire season devoted to the evolution of the slice, Adrienne and Stephen tackle the biggest question of them all: When exactly did pizza stop being an Italian import and become an undeniable American staple? By narrowing down the historical timeline between World War II and the rise of fast-food chains, they pinpoint the exact day pizza officially conquered American pop culture.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why returning WWII soldiers sparked the fire, but didn't immediately make the dish mainstream

• The incredible six-year window (1947–1953) where the press went from explaining what a pizza was to declaring it a threat to the hot dog and hamburger

• Why the founding of Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas in 1958 was a symptom of the pizza boom, rather than the cause

• August 10, 1953: The release of The Caddy and why the debut of "That's Amore" by Dean Martin is the perfect marker for pizza's American takeover