TOP THIS: Donatos unveils new cauliflower crust, signature pizzas

Columbus-based chain with 16 Miami Valley locations also adds plant-based sausage to its toppings
Donatos Cauliflower Bruschetta Pizza, one of three new signature pizzas from the Columbus-based Donatos chain that features a cauliflower crust and plant-based sausage.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Donatos Cauliflower Bruschetta Pizza, one of three new signature pizzas from the Columbus-based Donatos chain that features a cauliflower crust and plant-based sausage.
What to Know
By Mark Fisher
Feb 4, 2020
X

Columbus-based Donatos Pizza, which has 16 restaurants across the Miami Valley, has unveiled three signature pizzas that include its new cauliflower crust and plant-based sausage.

The new pizzas are lower in carbs “and high on flavor,” Donatos officials said in a release.

>> New pub opens inside a former church and Moose Lodge

“This is NOT a limited time offer,” a spokesman for Donatos told this news outlet. “This product is here to stay, and sales continue to increase on it every day as more and more people hear about it or try it and tell others.”

The new products made their debut last week.

>> Restaurant highlights for January: return of IHOP, surprising closings

“Donatos strives to bring trending flavors and premium ingredients to our customers, and we are excited to add these delicious options to the Donatos menu, as it provides more individual choice,” Tom Krouse, president and CEO of Donatos, said in a release.

The Dayton-area Donatos restaurants are operated by a locally based franchisee, Viking Group Inc.

The new cauliflower crust has 30 percent fewer carbs than the pizza chain’s thin crust. It is available only in 10-inch pies.

>> BEST OF DAYTON: Who serves the tastiest wings in town?

The crust  and the new plant-based sausage are featured in three new specialty pies, although they also are available in “create-your-own” options. The specialty pies are:

• Cauliflower Bruschetta: Red sauce, smoked Provolone, fresh-cut green peppers and onions, tomato bruschetta, spinach and plant-based sausage;

>> Century Bar reopens sooner than expected in downtown Dayton

• Cauliflower Garden: Red sauce, smoked Provolone, fresh-cut green peppers and onions, mushrooms and plant-based sausage;

• Cauliflower Heat: Red sauce, smoked Provolone and pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, crushed red pepper and plant-based sausage.

>> BEST OF DAYTON: Help crown the Dayton sandwich king

The pizzas are available online at Donatos.com, on the Donatos app, and at every Donatos location.

Donatos was founded in 1963 when then-Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop in Columbus for $1,300.  Today, the pizza chain and its franchise partners operate 161 restaurants in 10 states.

In Other News
1
Friday the 13th: What is so unlucky about it?
2
Jump start gardening by making a plan
3
Lily’s Dayton executive chef’s deviled eggs are tested by other chefs
4
Watch: Track for new roller coaster delivered to Kings Island
5
Locals who have appeared on Food Network share their experiences

About the Author

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.