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.

Back-To-School OTTO Gift Card Giveaway

Whether you’re learning from home or headed back into the classroom, back-to-school is probably looking a little different this year. We’re here to help make that transition easier. We’re kicking off the fall with a Back-To-School OTTO Quiz & Gift Card Giveaway!

Anyone who participates on Instagram will be entered to win a $100 OTTO gift card. Here’s how to enter:

  1. Follow OTTOPORTLAND on Instagram (if you already follow us, skip to step 2!)
  2. Answer any of the quiz questions in our stories or posts
  3. Tag a friend in the comments

The more questions you answer (and it’s okay if you answer incorrectly), the higher your chance of winning the gift card. Plus, learn a few fun OTTO facts along the way! The winner will be annouced on 9/17/2020.

OTTO Pizza: At a Brewery Near You

Pizza and beer just go together. It’s a universal truth. At OTTO, we are always looking for ways to work with our local breweries: tap takeovers, limited edition collaborations, even using craft beer as an ingredient. Lately we’ve been working with breweries in a new way.

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We’re excited to announce that we now offer pizza delivery to select breweries in both Maine and Massachusetts!

If you’re a regular on the tasting room circuit, you may have seen one of our ordering tablets already. They’re simple to use and just like ordering online.

Here’s how they work:

  • After approaching the OTTO ordering kiosk, enter the delivery address that’s conveniently listed on the bottom of the tablet. Once the address is entered, click “order” and select “ASAP” to get your order started.
  • Place your order as you normally would by selecting your favorite pizzas, salads and apps. All you’ll need to complete your order is your name, phone number and payment information. You can also enter your OTTO Rewards information to earn points on your delivery.
  • Delivery typically takes 35-45 minutes. This leaves you a little time to enjoy some beverages while you wait for your order.
  • If you have any questions or need to make any changes to your order, simply call the number listed at the bottom of the kiosk to reach the OTTO team handling your order.

We currently have OTTO ordering kiosks at the following locations:

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OTTO Pizza is also available at the Rising Tide tasting room in Portland (103 Fox Street, Portland, ME) . They offer slices, as well as small pies, right there at the tasting room.

If you are a brewery or other business interested in offering OTTO pizza at your establishment, please contact us at catering@ottoportland.com for more details.

 

The 1st OTTO Oscars! Submit your OTTO-themed Movie Poster and Win $100 Worth of Pizza Delivered to your Door on Oscar Night

It’s that time of year again – Oscar season! In honor of the 88th Academy Awards, we inviteTheShining you to post your own versions of OTTO-themed movie posters on our Facebook timeline and WIN!

Submit your movie poster by Thursday, February 25th. On Friday, February 26th we will choose the three best entries and award the following prizes:

1st place: A pizza party of $100 worth of pizza delivered to your home on Oscar Night* OR a $100 gift card & an OTTO T-shirt
2nd place: $50 OTTO gift card & an OTTO T-shirt
3rd place: $25 OTTO gift card & an OTTO T-shirt

A couple of rules to follow:

  1. You must incorporate one or both of the following: A photo of OTTO pizza AND/ORSpottolight the word ‘OTTO’ (Otto’s or Otto’s Pizza will not be accepted)
  2. Please use an existing film poster for your entry (see the Facebook gallery for examples)

Entries may be posted on our Facebook timeline or emailed to contactus@ottoportland.com. Winners will be contacted via Facebook or email on 2/26.

OTTO reserves the right to remove and/or disqualify entries that are not suitable for all ages, or which are otherwise not aligned with OTTO’s good taste.

We will add the very best entries to our ‘OTTO Oscars’ Facebook gallery, and elsewhere.

Get to it and good luck!

*The address must be within delivery range of one our locations in Maine or Massachusetts to qualify for an Oscar Night delivery

 

OTTO Delivers Pizza 3,158 Miles For Birthday Surprise

We at OTTO are aware that a lot of folks really, really like our pizza.  We have seen all kinds of public declarations that remind us that we’re doing something special. Our beloved Red Sox have placed large orders on consecutive weeks.  New Yorkers have declared OTTO the best pizza they’ve ever eaten.

We haven’t yet, however, received a request to deliver pizza all the way across the United States, no matter the cost. (We do offer free delivery in Portland, by the way!)IMG_0618-1

Joy and Jeff Johnson of Washington, reached out to OTTO to see if there was any way possible we could have a few pizzas delivered for their daughter Devi’s 18th birthday.

The Johnsons discovered OTTO’s Harvard Square location while on a college-hunting trip with Devi, and it was love at first bite. (They nearly missed their plane when they tried to get more pizza on their last day in Massachusetts.)

Since then, Devi and her parents have followed OTTO on Facebook, but simply couldn’t take the posts of pizza pictures any longer (“the daily torture!”).

That’s when the idea was born to have OTTO delivered cross-country as a surprise for Devi’s birthday. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

It was certainly one of the strangest requests we’ve received at OTTO. Never ones to shirk away from a challenge, we worked out a way to make it happen. On Tuesday, December 18th, OTTO’s 578 Congress Street (Portland) staff hand-tossed, built, baked, and packed two vegetarian pies for overnight shipping. The pies were crafted and packaged with great care to ensure they showed up as fresh, and as eye-pleasing, as possible.

The Johnsons, ever the good sports, promised to send photos of our pies arriving 3,158 miles away. As an added gesture of appreciation, the Johnsons made a donation in OTTO’s name to a New England-based literacy program.

We at OTTO wish Devi a very wonderful birthday, and hope that the pizza is as delicious as she remembers.

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Who is Elliott Brood? And Why Should You Care?

Elliott Brood is on tour and playing a bunch of shows in the northeast before heading over to Europe.

Music is an important ingredient at OTTO Pizza – we listen to it all the time. We listen to music while we’re setting up shop in the morning; it’s playing during the day when we’re taking care of our customers, and we crank it up at night while we’re cleaning up the shop to do it all over again the next day.

Some of the folks who work at OTTO Pizza are musicians themselves, and there are a ton of local bands that we love as well, but every once in a while, a band comes along that really grabs us and maybe we go a little crazy.

Elliott Brood is such a band. These guys are amazing. But don’t take our word for it. Check ’em out for yourself.

And apparently, Elliott Brood is on tour right now, which is great. Anybody else really like Elliott Brood? Why don’t you drop us a line at ottopizza668@gmail.com?

Social Media: Where To Find (And Friend) OTTO Online

While OTTO’s number one focus is serving our customers insanely delicious signature pizzas in our shops, we also like staying connected with our friends and neighbors when they aren’t chowing down.
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OTTO Pizza has had a social media presence for some time, but we’ve added a few additional social networks and we’d like you to know where to find us. We hope you will find that, unlike many businesses, we truly are interested in getting to know you and learning from you. We care about our customers, our communities, and our peers — We wouldn’t be OTTO otherwise.

OTTO doesn’t only pizza. We love craft beer. We love music, art, movies, books, and comedy. Heck, we even love a good cat video from time to time.  We also love being turned on to new ideas, new sights and sounds, so don’t be a stranger.

We look forward to seeing you around!

OTTO on Facebook

OTTO on Twitter

OTTO on Pinterest

OTTO on Google+

More to come!

The Best Lines From OTTO Pizza Online Customer Reviews

One of the greatest things about the internet is the ability to cut through the crap and read actual first-hand comments about the food you’re thinking about eating. We can think of many times we’ve dodged a potential bullet by checking Yelp!, UrbanSpoon, etc., and learned first-hand about awful culinary experiences.

Here at OTTO, where we strive to always provide our customers with uniquely delicious pizza, a clean and cozy atmosphere, and great service, we make a point to monitor our online reviews. We’re pleased to report that they are overwhelmingly positive.

Some of these reviews are so great, that it seems criminal to not showcase them elsewhere.

Here are some snippets from the many wonderful online reviews of the OTTO experience:

From Steff, at UrbanSpoon (there is no best line — the whole thing is tremendous):

Dear Boyfriend,

I think you know this, but I’m having a love affair. With Otto’s. Oh, I know the three of us (you, me, and Otto’s) have had many randez-vous (sometimes multiple times a night), but you should know that when I leave your place . . . I stop for a quickie at Otto’s. When we’re kissing . . . I wish your beard had Otto’s crumbs in it. While you seasonally change your facial hair . . . they hourly change their options. They please me in a deep, thrilling way that no other man . . . or pizza joint . . . ever has. When I feel like I need to be loved safely and reliably, it’s their tomato-basil pizza that comforts me. When I desire that earthy, gritty kind of affection, I turn to their mushroom-cauliflower pizza. When I’m craving something a little more daring, a little more exotic and sexy, I have the white bean, roasted tomato, herb, and red flake (which is a mouthful . . . if you know what I mean). Yes, sometimes you are the more consistent lover; and, Otto’s has the tendency of teasing me so (oh, butternut-squash-cranberry, why can’t you always be there for me like I want to be for you?!). But it’s a small sin when their huge, heaping triangles of love are so reasonably priced. With their prices, it’s like they’re telling me: “from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish ’till death do us part, I hereby pledge you my faithfulness.”

I do, too, Ottos. I do, too.

Oh, boyfriend, it was only a matter of time before you realized with them it’s never forced. It’s never fake. It’s always the real deal: they are one of the best mouthgasm’s I have.

Please don’t be jealous,

Steff

From Rachel at Yelp!:

The ricotta, butternut & cranberry slice at Otto is merely a flatbread mechanism used to transport holiday cheer to my mouth, and that’s not pizza. That’s revolutionary. A $3.50 hit of “Thanksgiving essence” is now available during all seasons, forever.

From Sharkey at UrbanSpoon:

Just to be able to walk down Congress and grab a slice makes living here even sweeter. I love seeing smiley, happy faces walking the street, noshing on a slice from Otto’s. Best advertising there is!

From Matt at Yelp!:

When we get the call that there’s a meteor headed for Earth, many people will choose to be with family I’m sure.

I’ll be at Ottos Brookline (maybe I’ll invite the family along).

From Emily at Yelp!:

I need to find this Otto and have a talk with him. Who is he? What makes him tick? Most importantly, how did he become so awesome at making delicious slices of pizza?

From Christine at Yelp!:

I live in the North End of Boston and I am considering going to Harvard Square in the snow to get a slice. Its THAT GOOD.

Having a Party? A Meeting? Just Plain Hungry? Try OTTO’s ‘Buy 10 Get 1 Free’ Deal!

Otto To Go - Buy 10 Pizzas, Get 1 Free!Pizza has always been a communal food. It’s the first thing we think of when we need food for a baseball team, a birthday party, or a business meeting.

The problem is that most pizza out there is pretty interchangeable. And boring.

Enter OTTO. Imagine the look on the faces of your guests when you serve up a stack of our signature pies: Pulled pork and mango. Eggplant, ricotta and basil. Apple, bacon, and red onion. Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion.

If you order 10 OTTO pizzas, we throw one in for free. Pretty simple. The hardest thing is deciding which of our mouth-watering combinations to choose.

All you need to do is call in to your local OTTO Pizza location and tell them you want in on the ‘Buy 10 get 1 free’ deal.

And yes, in Portland, we will deliver at no charge (stay tuned for OTTO To Go at our Boston locations).

And don’t forget. OTTO also does catering. Whether it’s a gameday party, a business meeting, or a campus event, OTTO has you covered.

A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Mouth-Watering OTTO Pizza Instagram Pics

Nothing makes us happier than knowing our customers love our pizza. While we love your praise when you’re in the shop, we also know that a picture’s worth a thousand words.

When our customers tweet or post pictures of our pizza (or our signature sodas and salads), we know they don’t just love it, they want others to love it too.

Here are 13 of our favorite OTTO shares on Instagram. Try not to drool on the keyboard, please.

1. From italianinboston:
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2. From stretchandmayo:
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3. From adewomol:
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4. From constantlyconstance:
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5. From just_me__just_em:
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6. From shnrl:
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7. From truestorycory:
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8. From craigalansmalls:
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9. From dibbee:
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10. From bostontweet:
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11. From mschafer87:
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12. Also from from mschafer87:
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13. And once again, mschafer87 (you really love us, don’t you?):
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