2021: Our Year of Giving Back

In many ways, 2021 felt like a repeat of 2020 — a year of uncertainty and unprecedented change in how we live our daily lives. Our friends, families and communities have all been affected in some way by the continued impacts of COVID-19. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, however, there has been a constant; the tireless dedication of those who work so hard to support those in need, despite the challenges.

Although COVID impacted the ways in which we typically have supported our communities, we have partnered with many wonderful organizations in a variety of ongoing programs, and you — our customers — have made it possible for us to maximize support of many deserving recipients doing important work.

Seasonal Special Donations

In Massachusetts, we continued our ongoing partnership with Cooking Matters MA – an organization which helps connect families with affordable and nutritious meal options. “Cooking Matters is helping end childhood hunger by inspiring families to make healthy, affordable food choices. [Their] programs teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals.” $1 of each monthly special pie sold from our Massachusetts locations goes to Cooking Matters MA. This year, we have donated over $11,000 directly to the organization.

In Maine, we continued to work with Full Plates Full Potential as one of their FEED Kids partners. Full Plates, Full Potential is an organization dedicated to ending child hunger in Maine. “[Their] work focuses on increasing participation in school breakfast, after school meals, and summer meal programs.” We’ve donated $1 of each monthly special sold from our Maine locations to Full Plates Full Potential since March. This has allowed us to donate over $12,000 directly to the organization.

Feeding the Frontline

Another group that’s been severely strained by this pandemic is healthcare workers. They have gone through extraordinary efforts to heal and protect their patients and our communities, working tirelessly around the clock dealing with scenarios that many of us cannot imagine. In April of 2020, we began our Feeding the Frontline initiative – a donation-based framework that supports both restaurants and frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis by turning customer donations into nourishment for healthcare workers throughout Maine and Massachusetts.

In 2021, we received over $75,000 in customer donations that we’ve turned into countless orders, feeding thousands of healthcare workers and first responders ($125,000 in donations have been received since May 2020, the start of the initiative). We are both amazed and extremely humbled by the support we’ve received, and can tell you first hand how appreciative our healthcare heroes have been to benefit from this program. Below are a few of the facilities we’ve made deliveries to as a part of this initiative:

  • Maine Medical Center
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Maine General Hospital
  • Brigham & Women’s Hospital
  • Boston Medical Center
  • Salem Hospital
  • St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
  • Carney Hospital
  • Maine Cancer Center
  • Mid Coast Hospital
  • Mount Auburn Hospital
  • Mercy Hospital
  • US Coast Guard
  • Preble Street
  • Good Shepherd Food Bank
  • Various vaccine sites throughout Maine and Massachusetts

Tips For Kids

In 2020, a new initiative was started at our Southie location in which all tips are donated to a deserving local charity. This initiative has since grown to include our South End and Beverly locations.

In 2021, customers of these locations have made the following donations possible:

With all of that said, we owe a huge thanks to our customers. The programs and initiatives above would not be possible without your support. While many of us continued to spend much of the year in relative isolation, the power of community has never been more evident. As we reflect on this difficult year, we are incredibly thankful for our staff, our customers, our partners and our communities. We wish each of you a healthy and happy holiday season, and look forward to seeing your smiling faces in the new year.

OTTO Beverly to donate 100% of tips Jan 1 – Mar 31 to the Greater Beverly YMCA

As part of the ongoing Tips For Kids initiative, OTTO’s Beverly location has selected the Greater Beverly YMCA to be the recipient of all customer tips from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022.

The Greater Beverly Y is committed to strengthening communities, educating and nurturing children and promoting healthy living in spirit, mind, and body.

We owe a ton of thanks to our Beverly staff and the generosity of our customers for making these donations possible. We know that, now more than ever, a helping hand goes a long way. Whether customers place orders online, via phone, or in-house, every tip will be put to work supporting the the Greater Beverly YMCA and their mission.

Feeding the Frontline has hit $100K!

At OTTO, giving back to our communities has always been a priority. In the past year, we’ve begun two ongoing programs: our monthly specials donations, in which we’ve partnered with Cooking Matters in MA and FEED Kids in ME to donate $1 from every monthly special pizza sold, and Feeding the Frontline, where we’ve turned customer contributions into countless deliveries, feeding thousands of healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic.

We are so excited to announce that, as of this month, we’ve reached $100,000 in donations to our Feeding the Frontline program! We’re so grateful to our incredible customers for making this initiative so successful. Both Feeding the Frontline and our monthly donations program would not be possible without your support. We can also say firsthand how appreciative the frontline workers we’ve delivered to have been to benefit from this program.

Because of your generous donations, we’ve been able to make deliveries to over 75 healthcare facilities in Maine and Massachusetts, including:

  • Maine Medical Center
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Tufts Medical Center
  • Maine General Hospital
  • Mercy Hospital
  • Boston Medical Center
  • Fenway Health
  • Beverly Hospital
  • Mid Coast Hospital
  • Mount Auburn Hospital
  • Emerson Hospital

Although we have reached an amazing milestone, we’re not out of the woods yet. If you’re able, please consider making a donation with your next order, so we may continue to support our healthcare heroes and fuel them through their shifts as they work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.

2020: A Year of Giving Back


There’s really no other way to put it; 2020 has been a trying year for all — a year of uncertainty, social upheaval, and unprecedented change in how we live our daily lives. Our friends, families and communities have all been affected in some way. While we could go on and on about the challenges of this year, we’d like to reflect on a few of the positives.

Giving back has always been a part of the OTTO culture. In the past, we’ve donated to countless organizations in our communities through fundraisers, in-kind donations, and of course, pizza. The nature of this year forced us to restructure our entire giving program. With schools closed for much of the year and fundraisers canceled due to gathering restrictions, we had to rethink our entire Good Food, Good Cause initiative.

Of course, we had no plans to stop giving back to our communities. More than ever, our communities needed our help. Fortunately, we were able to partner with two amazing organizations in Maine and Massachusetts that directly align with our mission – to end child hunger and provide better access to food in the communities we do business in, and beyond. Starting in March of 2020, we began donating $1 from every monthly special pie sold to these organizations.

In Massachusetts, we partnered with Cooking Matters MA – an organization which helps connect families with affordable and nutritious meal options. “Cooking Matters is helping end childhood hunger by inspiring families to make healthy, affordable food choices. [Their] programs teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals.” $1 of each monthly special pie sold from our Massachusetts locations goes to Cooking Matters MA. This year, we have donated over $7,000 directly to the organization.

In Maine, we’re working with Full Plates Full Potential as one of their FEED Kids partners. Full Plates, Full Potential is an organization dedicated to ending child hunger in Maine. “[Their] work focuses on increasing participation in school breakfast, after school meals, and summer meal programs.” We’ve donated $1 of each monthly special sold from our Maine locations to Full Plates Full Potential since March. This has allowed us to donate over $8,000 directly to the organization.

Another group that’s been severely strained by this pandemic is healthcare workers. They have gone through extraordinary efforts to heal and protect their patients and our communities, working tirelessly around the clock dealing with scenarios that many of us cannot imagine. In April, we decided to get on board with an initiative called Feeding the Frontline – a donation-based framework that supports both restaurants and frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis. Through purchasing gift cards or meals from participating businesses, those working on the frontlines are provided with nourishment to help fuel them through their shifts.

We had no idea what to expect at the start, but we quickly learned that our customers enthusiastically wanted to be a part of this effort. To date, we’ve received over $40,000 in customer contributions that we’ve turned into countless orders, feeding thousands of healthcare workers and first responders. We are both amazed and extremely humbled by the support we’ve received, and can tell you first hand how appreciative our healthcare heroes have been to benefit from this program. Below are a few of the facilities we’ve made deliveries to as a part of this initiative:

  • Maine Medical Center
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • South Portland Fire Department – First Responders
  • Tufts Medical Center
  • Maine General Hospital
  • Lynnfield Fire Department – First Responders
  • Anna Jacques Hospital
  • Boston Medical Center
  • Beverly Hospital
  • Melrose Wakefield Hospital
  • Franciscan Hospital – Brighton
  • Maine’s Midcoast Hospital
  • Mount Auburn Hospital
  • Emerson Hospital
  • Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

With all of that said, we have to give a big shout out to our customers. The programs and initiatives above would not be possible without your support. While many of us have spent much of the year in relative isolation, the power of community has never been more evident. As we reflect on this difficult year, we are incredibly thankful for our staff, our customers, our partners and our communities. We wish each of you a healthy and happy holiday season, and look forward to seeing your smiling faces in the new year.

Update: Feeding the Frontline Workers

We cannot thank our customers, communities and folks who have supported this initiative enough. This campaign has been a great demonstration on how communities hold each other up and work together during uncertain times.

Through the support of our OTTO community, we’ve provided:

  • Meals to over 50 frontline facilities
  • Thousands of pizzas delivered
  • Over $40,000 in food and beverages
  • Nourishment for hundreds of frontline workers including hospital employees, community health center employees, first responders, and homeless/teen center staff to name a few

If you’re interested in supporting our Feeding the Frontline campaign, click here to contribute. We’ve also added a contribution option to our online ordering pages. You can now order a meal and contribute to Feed the Frontline in the same transaction!

Please note: From time to time, we run into a situation where a hospital or healthcare facility is unable to accept a donation. In those circumstances, we direct food donations to other facilities being impacted by COVID-19, such as homeless shelters and food banks.

OTTO Partners with FEED KIDS and Cooking Matters to combat food insecurity

At OTTO, we strongly believe in investing in our communities, and are proud to support a variety of causes and local organizations. Since we opened our doors in 2009, we’ve worked with over 500 organizations – from hosting fundraisers, to sponsoring teams, and handing out pizza to 5k participants – giving back is an important part of what we do.

As OTTO continues to grow and expand into new communities, we are continuously redefining the ways in which we give back. It is important that we are intentional and impactful with our reach, and that we’re able to align our core values with our giving. As a restaurant, one issue that is extremely important to us is food insecurity. We believe that no child should ever go hungry, and that families, schools, and communities should have the tools and resources to combat food insecurity. We’ve recently partnered with organizations in Maine and Massachusetts which aim to do just that – end child hunger in our communities, and provide families with the resources to connect them to healthy and affordable food options. Starting March 1, OTTO will be donating $1 from every monthly special pizza sold to FEED KIDS in Maine, and to Cooking Matters in Massachusetts.

Full Plates, Full Potential – FEED Kids

Full Plates, Full Potential is an organization dedicated to ending child hunger in Maine. “[Their] work focuses on increasing participation in school breakfast, after school meals, and summer meal programs.” We are proud to say that we are now one of their FEED KIDS Partners, and will be donating $1 of every monthly special pizza sold in Maine to Full Plates, Full Potential.

Cooking Matters MA

Cooking Matters is a campaign developed by Share Our Strength; a nonprofit that aims to end poverty and hunger. More specifically, Cooking Matters aims to end childhood hunger by “inspiring families to make healthy, affordable food choices. [Their] programs teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals.” Cooking Matters helps connect low-income families with the tools and resources to prepare healthy food on a budget. OTTO will donate $1 of every monthly special pizza sold in Massachusetts to Cooking Matters.

Follow us to learn more about how we will be working with these two organizations to help end child hunger in our communities.

2015: A Year In Giving Back

Since we opened our first little slice shop on Congress Street in Portland back in 2009, giving back has been integral to what OTTO does. From day one, we have committed ourselves to bettering the communities in which we do business. We have been fortunate enough to continue this tradition into 2016 and beyond.

10414491_806020339409898_4134071848483003687_nIt is not lost on us that without having been embraced and supported by our communities over the past several years, we would not have been able to make community outreach an integral part of our company culture.

Our weekly fundraiser series now runs in 8 locations in two states. In addition to these events, we provide many in-kind donations to many deserving charities and community organizations throughout the year.

OTTO has been fortunate enough to have donated to over 250 organizations in Maine, Massachusetts and beyond in 2015. We are extremely grateful to be in a position to do so. As we close the year, we are thankful for the many wonderful organizations (and those who keep them operating) who tirelessly worked to better our communities in so many ways.

As we look back on the past year, we want to acknowledge some of the great organizations that we have had the pleasure of working with in some capacity. The following is a partial list of these organizations.

Thank you for all you do!

317 Main
American Cancer SocietyCGsEWPrVIAAaS8I
American Liver Foundation
Amirah Boston
Animal Refuge League
Anna Jacques Community Health Foundation
Art Play Nursery School
Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital
Bicycle Coalition of Maine
Bikers Against Child Abuse
Birth Roots
Boston Cares
Boys to Men
BreastFest Concert 4 a Cure
Brendan Conway Memorial Scholarship Fund
Brookline Arts Center
Brookline Community Mental Health Center
Brookline High School Model UN
BU Alternative Spring Breaks
BU Black Business Association
BU China Care Fund
BU Ellevate
BU Global Business Brigades11225257_1005999809411949_3853456183222734451_n
BU Global Water Brigades
BU Partners in Health
BU Relay For Life
BU Special Olympics Club
BU Student Volunteers for Special Needs
BU Unite For Sight
Buddy Up Animal Society
Cancer Community Center
Cape Celebrates Literacy and Authorfest
Cape Challenge 5k
Cape Elizabeth Jazz Cabaret
Cape Elizabeth Speech and Debate
Casco Bay Nursing Partnership
CBS 13’s Tri for a Cure
Center for Grieving Children
Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Christmas Tree Santas
Coastal Womens Healthcare 2nd Annual 5k for Postpartum Depression
Community Health Council
Connect the Tots
Coolidge Corner Community Chorus
Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation
Creative Portland
DayOne
Deering High School Chinese Club
East End Community School
East End Holiday Stroll
Easter Seals
Edward Devotion School12072666_1087917931220136_3592187942805901356_n
El Amor de Patricia
Engineers Without Borders
EqualityMaine
Falmouth Corner Preschool
Feed the DOG, Inc.
Figures of Speech Theater
FPD Education Foundation
Freeport Community Services
Friends of Casco Bay
Friends of Feral Felines
Friends of Newburyport Track
Friends of Willow
Front St. Study Center
Georgetown PTA
GHS Key Club
GHS Project Graduation
Girls On The Run
Good Shepherd Food Bank11406320_10152770783527820_6834360431906910084_o
Harvard Center For Ethics
HEAD Over Roof, Inc.
Helping Paws
Hour Exchange Portland
Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center
LearningWorks
Levey Day School
Longfellow Elementary School
Lucky Pup Rescue
Lynnfield Art Guild
Mad Horse Theatre
Maine Adaptive Sports
Maine Catholic Charitites Barrels & Brews
Maine Center for Creativity
Maine Chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Association
Maine Charitable Mechanic Association
Maine Friends of Animals
Maine Historical Society
Maine Inside Out
Maine Irish Heritage Center12248133_10153249482658733_242042729514050777_o
Maine Youth Rock Orchestra
Mama Hope
Mayo St. Arts
Merrohawke Nature School
Missions to Zanzibar
Multiracial Adoptive Family Collaborative
Multilingual & Multicultural Center
Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization
My Place Teen Center
Newburyport Education Foundation
Partners for World Health
Pennies for Poverty
Pie Man Theatre Company
Portland Buy Local
Portland Chamber Music Festival
Portland Nursery School
Portland Stage11698946_1030049273673669_6715835807551496429_o
Portland Sunrise Rotary Club
Portland Symphony Orchestra
Preble Street Resource Center
Primitive Condition
Project Nicaragua
Rainbow Tribe
REAL School
Resilience Hub
Ronald McDonald House
RunTriRide
Sable Oaks Golf Tournament for Camp Kieve
Safe Passage
Scarborough Education Foundation
Scarborough Land Trust
SealsFit
Sexual Assault Response Services
Silent Sidekicks10646796_985574444787819_8653778671969702376_n
Skyline Farm 5K Trail Run/Walk
South Portland Historical Society
South Portland Jazz Festival
South Portland Nursing Home
South Portland Public Library
Southern Maine Community Organizations Active in Disaster
Southern Maine Conservative Collaborative
SPHS Dollars for Scholars
SPHS Project Graduation
Spirits Alive 2015 Walk Among the Shadows
Starry Night 8.5k
Steps to Success
STRIVE
Student Veterans of America
Take Action Portland
Team On Belay
The Fresh Air Fund11112974_1006021342743129_2477605537619062446_n
The Locker Project
The Pixel Fund
The Riders Club
The Root Cellar
The Telling Room
Townscape
Trek Across Maine
Tri for a Cure
UNE Miles for Smiles
United Way of Greater Portland
University of Maine School of Law Women’s Law Association
USM Community Garden
USM Vets Holiday Party
USM Leadership Gala
Valpo Surf Project
Vet to Vet
Village Nursery School
Vivid MotionCKecefMWsAArOad
Wayfinder Schools
Wescustago Youth Choir
Westbrook Little League
Westbrook Seals Swim Team
WMPG
Women Around The World
Yarmouth Cares About Neighbors
Yarmouth Community Garden
Yarmouth Education Foundation
Yarmouth Historical Society
Yarmouth Lions Club
Yelp Helps
Young Non-Profit Professionals Netowrk
Youth & Family Outreach

2014: A Year of Giving Back

Since opening its first little slice shop on Congress Street in Portland in 2009, giving back has been an big part of what OTTO does. From day one, co-owners Anthony Allen and Mike Keon believed that it was important to better the communities in which OTTO does business, and this sentiment reverberates through the growing independent chain today.

10414491_806020339409898_4134071848483003687_nIt is not lost on us that without having been embraced and supported over the past 5+ years by our communities, we would not be able to grow this sentiment into an integral part of the chain’s culture.

We are now running weekly fundraiser series in four locations in two states. In addition to these, we provide many in-kind donations to many deserving charities and community organizations throughout the year.

OTTO has been fortunate enough to have donated to over 250 organizations in Maine, Massachusetts and beyond in 2014. We are extremely grateful to be in a position to do so. Perhaps more so, we are thankful for the many wonderful organizations (and those who keep them operating) who tirelessly work to better our communities in so many ways.

As we look back on 2014, we want to acknowledge some of the great organizations that we have had the pleasure of working with in some capacity.

Thank you for all you do.

MAINE:
48hour Film Festival10491185_10154228467515464_5172975192474676961_n
American Diabetes Association
American Red Cross
An Evening of Promise
Animal Refuge League
Art Play Nursery School
Barbara Bush Cures for Kids
Bayside Community Health Fair
Borgen Project
Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine
Camp Twitch & Shout
Cape Elizabeth Girl’s Volleyball
Cape Elizabeth High School Baseball
Cape Elizabeth High School’s Mock Trial Team
Cape Elizabeth Project Graduation
Children’s Association for Maximum Potential
Children’s Museum of Maine
Co-op Nursery School1979493_879431622068769_3191938351394253805_n
Coastal Studies for Girls
Cultivating Community
Deering High School
Easter Seals ME
Empowering Young Women
Environmental Health Strategy Center
Family Crisis Services
Florence House
Free The Children
Freeze out Hunger
Friends of Feral Felines
Gorham High School Girl Up
GLSEN
Hall School
Hardy Girls Healthy Women
Holy Cross School10174868_10152261591462839_5044234833510577421_n
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership
Husky Harvest
Junior League of Portland
King Middle School
Knights of Columbus Cheverus Council
Learning Works
Levy Day School
Longfellow Elementary School
Love, People
Lucy K Fund
Lucky Pup Rescue
Lyric Music Theater
Magic Matinee
Mahoney Middle School
Maine Books for Maine Kids
Maine Cancer Foundation10155329_770606132951319_527890677_n
Maine Children’s Cancer Fund
Maine Freedom Project
Maine Island Trail Association
Maine Military Museum
Maine Narrow Gauge
Make A Wish Maine
March of Dimes
Maine Children’s Cancer Program
Mechanics Hall
Michael Pecha Cancer Fund
Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Musica De Filia
National Tourette Syndrome Association
Parkside Neighborhood Association
Pets for Vets10310591_793342390677693_2702114172873646891_n
Planned Parenthood
Port Resources
Portland Buy Local
Portland Education Foundation
Portland High School
Portland Public Library
Portland Stage Company
Portland Sunshine Rotary
Portland Trails
Portland Veterans Acupuncture Clinic
Portland Youth Dance
Preble Street Teen Center
SailMaine
SealsFit
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine
Silent Sidekicks
South Portland Food Cupboard1545826_738917119453554_1571773475_n
South Portland High School
South Portland High School Robotics
South Portland High School Soccer
South Portland Swim Boosters
South Portland High School Project Graduation
SPACE Gallery
Spindleworks
The Children’s Trust
The South Portland Historical Society
The Telling Room
UNE Medication Collection
Voter Education Brigade
Winship Memorial Fund
WMPG
Women in Harmony
YMCA for Adaptive Services

MASSACHUSETTS:
Alzheimer Association’s RunTriRide
American Red Cross10276025_437417973060256_6145661167063435402_n
Amphibious Achievements
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston College Relay for Life
Boston Collegiate Charter School
Boston Minstrels
Boston University China Care Fund
Boston University Occupational Therapy
Boston Workman’s Circle
Brian D. Silver Memorial Fun
Brookline Boys Basketball
Brookline Early Education Project
Brookline Food Coop
Brookline High School
Brookline Teen Center
BU 85 Broads
BU Center for Gender Sexuality
BU China Care Fund10367818_794314320580500_6700202918988191713_n
BU College of Fine Arts
BU Ellevate
BU Global Water Brigades
BU Law Public Interest Project
BU Marketing Club
BU Outing Club
BU Pre-Law Review
BU Relay for Life
BU Sargent College- Ghana Volunteer Trip
BU Senior Theatre Arts Majors Productions
BU Sigma Beta Rho
BU Unite for Sight10168161_788494334495832_2633235171370483254_n
BU Water Polo
Cambridge Community Chorus
Children’s Center for Communication
Congregation Kehillath Israel
Coolidge Corner Community Chorus
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Cross Keys Retreat
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Destination ImagiNation- Lynnfield HS
Edward Devotion School
EMARC
Engineers Without Borders
Evening with Champions
FairTrade (Harvard U.)
Family Equality Council
Fenway Health
Friends of Buker
Friends of Lynnfield Library
Gathering Change
Global Water Brigades
Greenwood Elementary
Harvard China Care
Helping Hands for Homeless
Huckleberry Hill Elementary School
Humanist Community at Harvard
Lawrence School PTO10267777_784309914914274_5710944405256697106_n
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lynnfield High School
Lynnfield Pioneer Football Club
Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress
Massmouth
Melrose Humane Sociaty
Morse Elementary School
Nashoba Learning Group
NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans)
Newbury College Alumni Committee
Newburyport River Run
North Shore Scleroderma
Northeast Parent Advisory Council
Omega Phi Alpha
Pan-Mass Challenge Team Paul & Eve
Partners in Health10525905_761604797231921_5668220597958144632_n
River Relay for Real Lives
Rodman Ride for Kids
Safe Passage
Science Club for Girls
Sinclair Firefighters Benefit
Smart Woman Securities
St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital
Stock Our Shelves
Summer St. Elementary PTO
Temple Ohabei Shalom
Unite for Sight
WGBH
With Certainty Project
Wounded Warrior Project