Pizza Fusion, you know all about its “fresh, organic, earth friendly” way of doing business. Maybe you’ve seen the hybrid delivery cars?
This week, the founders took their founding philosophy one step further when they received organic certification from Quality Assurance International. Pizza Fusion claims to be the first restaurant chain to get this organic seal of approval. QAI uses the strict standards spelled out by the USDA’s National Organic Program to verify that business comply.
Fort Lauderdale-based Pizza Fusion, which currently has five South Florida locations, has adhered to strict environmental standards since its 2006 inception. Construction meets green building standards, furniture is made from reclaimed wood and walls are painted with milk-based paints.
“I guess we realized we’d forgotten what’s most important to the restaurant,” says co-founder Vaughan Lazar. “And that’s food.”
QAI certification took a “tedious” six months. Every ingredient used in the restaurant had to be traced back to it origins. If non-organic vegetable touch a cutting board, organic veggies can’t be cut on the same surface until it’s washed using QAI standards.
Lazar says there will be 15 Pizza Fusions nation-wide by the end of the year. Altogether, 75 locations have been sold and are in development across the country. All will have the endorsement of QAI, one of close to 100 certifying organizations in the country.
Photo: Typical Pizza Fusion pies. Note the oblong shape.

Similar posts: celebrity food