In the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, Bearno’s Pizza has become more than just a local pizza chain—it’s a testament to the power of community recognition, culinary tradition, and the ever-evolving story of American pizza culture. But while Bearno’s basks in the glow of community-driven awards and glowing customer reviews, a different, equally compelling pizza narrative has been quietly resurfacing on the other side of the country. Together, these stories reveal the rich, sometimes overlooked, tapestry of pizzerias shaping local life and history, from Kentucky to the Pacific Northwest.
Bearno’s Pizza, a Louisville-born chain, stands as a familiar presence for residents across Louisville and southern Indiana. With ten locations in Louisville and three more in southern Indiana, Bearno’s has woven itself into the city’s fabric, known for its hearty pies, signature “Mama Bearno’s Special,” and a neighborhood sports-bar atmosphere that invites families and friends to gather. As The Courier Journal reports, Bearno’s is a fixture of the Louisville Community’s Choice Awards—a program that lets residents nominate and vote for their favorite local businesses. The 2026 nomination round, which opened in February, is the latest opportunity for locals to rally around their beloved pizza joint.
“Another outstanding pizza eating experience… it was fresh, hot and delicious. The service we got from Christi was exceptional as usual,” one Yelp reviewer raved about Bearno’s Little Sicily, echoing the sentiment of many who praise the chain’s consistent quality and attentive service. Another customer shared, “This Bearno's never fails to satisfy. No matter how many times we come here to eat the food and service is always consistent.” These testimonials, highlighted by The Courier Journal, speak to Bearno’s enduring appeal in a crowded dining scene.
Yet, the story of pizza in America is far broader than any one city’s favorite slice. In Seattle, a very different tale has unfolded—one that challenges assumptions about who gets to make pizza, who gets to be recognized, and whose stories are remembered. When Pizza by Ruffin opened its doors in South Lake Union in October 2024, it made waves by claiming to be the first Black-owned pizzeria in Washington State. The pizzeria, run by Isaiah Ruffin and Colleen Constant, quickly became known for its inventive Roman-style pies infused with flavors from the Black diaspora—think Ethiopian doro wat, Somali lamb, and jerk chicken. For many, this was a bold, joyful celebration of culture and inclusion in a space often dominated by tradition.
But as Seattle Met’s reporting reveals, that pioneering claim turned out to be inaccurate. Goldie’s and the Roost, a Black-owned pizzeria co-owned by Sedrick Livingston, had quietly opened on Whidbey Island in June 2024, several months before Pizza by Ruffin. And as journalist Adrian Miller and others began digging into local pizza history, they found an even deeper story: the nearly forgotten legacy of Eartha Mae Brooks and her Central District pizzeria, Mrs. Pizza Express.
Brooks, a 57-year-old retired teacher from the East Coast, opened Mrs. Pizza Express at 29th and East Cherry in 1996, right in the heart of Seattle’s historic Black neighborhood. Her shop sold hand-tossed New York–style pizzas in three sizes, with two toppings and free delivery, serving the community from 11am to 2am. Her business emerged during a period when national pizza chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut were refusing to deliver to many neighborhoods with large Black populations—a practice known as “pizza redlining.” Domino’s, for example, stopped delivering to the Central District in 1990, and by 1996, Pizza Hut had blacklisted 80 areas across Western Washington, citing crime statistics. Residents, however, saw these policies as thinly veiled racism.
Undeterred by the obstacles, Brooks not only served her community but dreamed big. In 1997, she traveled to Olympia to support a tax that would help keep Seattle’s NFL team in town and fund the construction of what would become Lumen Field, now home to the Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks. As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer recounted, Brooks declared, “‘If we could be in the new stadium… If we could really be there, then say goodbye to Pizza Hut, say goodbye to Domino’s, and say hello to Mrs. Pizza.’” Her ambition wasn’t just about making a living—it was about representation and possibility.
Her dreams nearly became reality. In 2000, Mrs. Pizza Express landed two major contracts: one to feed workers at the stadium construction site, and another to sell pizzas at Mariners games at Safeco Field. But success proved elusive. According to Seattle Met, Brooks soon found herself at odds with stadium management, who replaced her fresh pizzas with frozen ones, slashing her rates from $1.13 per pie to a mere $0.08. Brooks accused the company of discrimination, claiming her employees were targeted “based primarily, if not solely, on their language, culture or skin color.” Though she pursued legal action, her lawsuit was eventually dismissed, and by 2015, when Brooks passed away at 76, her story had nearly faded from public memory.
This rediscovery of Brooks’s legacy underscores a broader truth, as Miller notes: “Because of the, to turn a phrase, media blackout on Black history, there are these stories that we hear, and we really want them to be true. There are a lot of incredible stories that have been forgotten over time.” The journey to set the record straight about Washington’s Black-owned pizzerias led to the revival of Brooks’s story, and perhaps, as Miller suggests, there are even more lost tales waiting to be uncovered.
For Pizza by Ruffin, learning about their predecessors hasn’t diminished their pride. Ruffin himself told Seattle Met that the discovery “does nothing to change that” sense of accomplishment, emphasizing the importance of visibility: “To show we’re out here… That we’re just as capable of bringing our flair and flavors to the table.” In recent months, Ruffin and Constant have stopped making the “first” claim, choosing instead to honor those who came before while continuing to break new ground with their unique flavor combinations and community engagement.
Back in Louisville, Bearno’s Pizza continues to thrive, buoyed by community support and the simple pleasures of a hot, delicious pie. Their story, like that of Mrs. Pizza Express and Pizza by Ruffin, reminds us that every pizzeria carries with it the dreams, challenges, and histories of those who built it—whether their names are household words or nearly lost to time. As communities across the country nominate and celebrate their favorite local businesses, it’s worth remembering that the true flavor of pizza is found not just in the toppings, but in the stories that rise with the dough.