A Mano Ridgewood Pizzeria Donating Pizzas To Local Charities

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - A Mano restaurant in Ridgewood is donating pizzas to local charities this month.

Customers can purchase a Margherita pizza for $6, half the menu price, that will be donated to various local non-profits and charities. The restaurant waits until enough money is donated to purchase 25 pizzas and then designates a charity give them to.

The program debuted Dec. 9 and 104 pizzas have been donated. It is scheduled to run until the first week of 2016 but if the program continues to be successful, it will be extended indefinitely. The pizzas will be donated to Youth Consultation Service, Eva’s Village, Center for Food Action and Family Promise of Bergen County.

The Pizza in Sospeso program was inspired by the long-standing tradition of donating coffees in Naples, Italy. An patron would anonymously pay for someone’s cup of coffee in advance or purchase a coffee for a needy person in a cafe, known in Italy as a caffe sospeso.

“Bringing the idea of sospeso to pizza is a great way to give back to the community and help the needy,” said Michele D’Amelio, head pizza chef at A Mano. “No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming to come from.”

A Mano is located at 24 Franklin Ave. It is one of the few United States restaurants certified by the Verace Pizza Napoletana and the Associazone Pizzaiuoli Napoletani organizations.

(Photo courtesy of A Mano)