HISTORY OF SHAKEY’S PIZZA

Shakey's is the pizza that started it all™. Founded by Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson, the
first Shakey's Pizza Parlor opened in 1954 on 57th and J Street in Sacramento,
California. Located in a remodeled grocery store, the original Shakey's Pizza restaurant
was established as “Ye Public House” for pizza and beer. In fact, as the pizza ovens
weren't ready on the first day, beer was the first menu item served at Shakey's. It wasn't
long though before the ovens were fired up and baking what came to be known as the
World's Greatest Pizza™.
Fun and good times have always been part of Shakey's recipe for success. Sherwood
Johnson brought his love of Dixieland jazz to Shakey's in the form of live ragtime music.
Jazz historians even credit the inclusion of player pianos, banjos and other live jazz
musicians as having played a role in the Sacramento jazz revival. Johnson himself is
honored in the American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City for promoting banjo music at
Shakey's Pizza Parlors.
Shakey's commitment to fun carried over to famously light-hearted advertising slogans
such as “You'll have fun at Shakey's, also pizza,” and “You can feed your face at any
old place, but you can warm your heart at Shakey's".