Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Crust Fund Pizza is “like a pizzeria, but it’s kind of mythical, and mostly exists in my head, except for when it exists in an alley a couple nights a month.” That’s how John Carruthers described to the Chicago Tribune the charitable pizza-making project he launched in 2020.
The project had raised more than $80,000 by October and was expected to raise more than $100,000 by the end of 2024.
“Crust Fund Pizza is a way to share the love of tavern-style pizza,” he said about his Chicago-style, thin-crust, square-cut pies. “And to shine a light on the places doing real, good direct work to make Chicago a better place to live.”
Carruthers, who has worked in restaurants, makes the pizza out of his home. His bestseller is “The Royko” (named after the late columnist Mike Royko), with sausage — which he grinds himself — and giardiniera.
Carruthers’ day job is director of communications at Revolution Brewing in Chicago. He has published two cookbooks, “Pizza for Everyone” and “Super Pizza World,” funded through Kickstarter.
In order to get Crust Fund pizza, customers must donate to the designated monthly charity and bring a donation receipt to Carruthers. To get details about monthly charitable pizza initiatives, you can sign up for the mailing list at crustfundpizza.com or check the Instagram account @nachosandlager.
