by Donald Eng
WALLINGFORD, CT — Those who like nothing more than a slice of pepperoni pizza on their plate can now show their state pride and help fight hunger by putting a slice of pepperoni pizza on their plate.
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles is partnering with Connecticut Foodshare — a statewide organization that partners with 650 local food pantries and meal programs — on a new license plate that shows off Connecticut’s status as “The Pizza State.” The $65 plate ($134 for a custom “vanity” plate) is available at www.ctfoodshare.org/pizzaplate.
“The unfortunate reality is that even in a wealthy state like Connecticut, hunger is on the rise,” said Jason Jakubowski, president and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare at a public introduction of the pizza license plate Monday. “There’s about 515,000 Connecticut residents who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and it’s all across the state. We serve all 169 towns.”
Connecticut Foodshare CEO Jason Jakubowski holds up a sample of new license plates that are being used to raise money to feed hungry residents during a news conference Monday, July 28, 2025, at Connecticut Foodshare in Wallingford. DMV Commissioner Tony Guerrera is in the background. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
As a benefit to the state and its independent pizzerias, Anthony Anthony, the chief marketing officer for the state Department of Economic and Community Development, said the new plates would take Connecticut’s pizza identity on the road. He said the department already had seen a significant return on its investment in a series of similarly themed signs.
“We put these really provocative billboards in New York City a couple months back,” he said. “In just six weeks, not only did we earn $13 million worth of … free media with a simple $220,000 investment. More importantly, what that did was it increased day trips to New Haven by 22% year over year. That has an economic impact.”
In his comments, Gov. Ned Lamont called the pizza marketing campaign and license plates “pretty clever” and said it promoted the state while also promoting a good cause.
“Here in this state, we’re trying to do everything we can … to help Foodshare,” he said.
Gov. Ned Lamont chats with volunteers from Voya before a news conference on using pizza license plates to raise money for Connecticut Foodshare on Monday, July 28, 2025, at nonprofit’s main office in Wallingford. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
Lamont, who declared the pepperoni slice on the plate as his favorite, said getting a plate and using the link to make a donation was a fun way to help reduce hunger in the state at a time when the federal government was making it more difficult for people to access food benefits.
“These are folks that need this desperately,” he said. “We’re providing hundreds of thousands of meals this summer. We’re trying to get free breakfast into our schools this school year. We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure people can get back on their feet.”
Still, despite rising food costs, Lamont said there was good news in that state residents were showing generosity.
“Get the license plate. Let everyone know that you care and make a difference in people’s lives,” he said.