Is Shakey’s Pizza Parlor important in pizza history?

Shakey’s Pizza Parlor was the first franchise pizza chain in the United States with up to 500 restaurants across the United States at its height in the 70s. Currently, Shakey’s Pizza operates around 500 stores worldwide, with 58 of these located in the U.S. Currently, stores can be found in the states of California and Washington, as well as in the Philippines, Singapore, and Japan.

Shakey’s Pizza Parlor was founded in Sacramento, California, on April 30, 1954, by Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson and Ed Plummer. Johnson’s nickname resulted from nerve damage following a bout of malaria suffered during World War II. The parlor opened on a weekend, but since the pizza ovens were not yet completed only beer was served. Shakey took the profits from beer sales and bought ingredients for pizza the following Monday.

For over six decades, Shakey’s has been serving its original thin-crust pizza, crispy fried chicken, crave-able Mojo Potatoes and its popular beers on tap in a fun, relaxed atmosphere that attracts customers for a variety of occasions. Bunch of Lunch invites time-pressed guests to build their own meal featuring an endless assortment of freshly made pizzas, chicken, Mojos, and salads, all for one low price. With the hope of a brighter future on the horizon, the brand’s classic game rooms, big-screen TVs, and community tables will once again make Shakey’s a favorite celebration spot for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and team parties.

Fun Fact: In a season five episode of South Park titled “Kenny Dies”, Cartman uses human stem cells to clone a Shakey’s restaurant. Cartman recalled this act of his in the season 9 episode “The Death of Eric Cartman”. Shakey’s was also briefly mentioned in other episodes such as the season 6 episode “Asspen”, the season 8 episode “Up the Down Steroid”, and the season 10 episode “Stanley’s Cup”.