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Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, and 100% You: How &pizza Nails Inclusivity Through Food

If you’ve ever stood at a restaurant counter and mentally crossed off option after option — no gluten, no dairy, no meat — you know the quiet frustration of a menu that wasn’t built with you in mind.&pizza was built differently.

If you’ve ever stood at a restaurant counter and mentally crossed off option after option — no gluten, no dairy, no meat — you know the quiet frustration of a menu that wasn’t built with you in mind.

&pizza was built differently.

What started in Washington D.C. has grown into one of the most customizable fast-casual concepts on the East Coast, with &pizza locations now stretching across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. And unlike a lot of chains that bolt on dietary options as an afterthought, &pizza made inclusivity the centerpiece of the experience from day one.

Whether you’re eating plant-based, avoiding gluten, going dairy-free, or just following your own rules — the menu bends to you. Not the other way around.

Here’s a closer look at how &pizza approaches food inclusivity, and why it matters for plant-based and gluten-free eaters alike.

Table of Contents

• What Makes &pizza Different?
• The Gluten-Free Crust Option
• Plant-Based Proteins That Actually Satisfy
• Dairy-Free Cheese Worth Talking About
• Build-Your-Own: The Whole Point
• Signature Pies With Plant-Based Builds
• Who &pizza Is Really For

What Makes &pizza Different?

Most fast-casual pizza places offer a token gluten-free crust or a veggie option and call it a day. &pizza goes further by treating every dietary need as a first-class citizen, not an afterthought tacked onto the bottom of the menu.

The model is simple: you choose your crust, your sauce, your cheese (or no cheese), your toppings, and your proteins. Every decision is yours. The staff moves through the line with you, building the pizza as you go. It’s fast food with a custom-order mentality.

For gluten-free and plant-based eaters, this isn’t just convenient. It’s genuinely freeing.

The Gluten-Free Crust Option

&pizza offers a gluten-free crust alongside their traditional dough — same signature shape and size, just a different recipe. It’s available at all locations and can be requested at the start of your order.

A few things worth knowing:

• It’s a made-to-order experience. When you flag a gluten sensitivity or allergy, staff are trained to acknowledge it, changing gloves and being intentional about your order as it moves through the line.
• It’s not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. &pizza is not a certified gluten-free facility. If you have celiac disease, cross-contamination is a real risk to factor in. For those eating gluten-free by preference or with a sensitivity, the experience is solid.
• It’s the same bold pizza. The gluten-free crust doesn’t mean you’re settling. You get the same sauces, toppings, and proteins as anyone else.

Plant-Based Proteins That Actually Satisfy

This is where &pizza stands out, especially for those used to “the veggie option” being a sad pile of mushrooms.

The build-your-own menu includes both TOFU and vegan sausage as protein options, meaning plant-based eaters aren’t stuck with just vegetables. These proteins are real additions to the menu, not seasonal experiments.

A few examples of how they show up:

• Tofu appears in signature builds like The Sheriff (classic tomato, vegan mozzarella, grilled onion, and banana peppers with a BBQ drizzle) and Hot In Here (spicy tomato, vegan mozzarella, jalapeños, and arugula).
• Vegan sausage turns up in Vegan Knots, a crowd-pleaser with garlic puree, vegan mozzarella, grilled onions, and a garlic butter drizzle.
• Spicy chickpea is another plant-based option that adds heft and heat.

If you’re building your own, you can layer any combination of these across whatever sauce and crust you’ve chosen. The flexibility is real.

Dairy-Free Cheese Worth Talking About

&pizza offers a plant-based mozzarella alternative that melts, stretches, and behaves like you’d expect pizza cheese to. It’s not the rubbery, flavorless kind that gives dairy-free cheese a bad reputation.

Important notes for dairy-free and plant-based eaters:

• Several sauces contain dairy. The Pesto, Truffle Sauce, Special T Sauce, and Ranch all contain milk. Classic tomato, spicy tomato, and garlic butter are the dairy-free and plant-based-friendly picks.
• The garlic butter drizzle is dairy-free. Despite the name, it’s a vegan drizzle.
• Beef meatballs contain dairy. Worth knowing if dairy is a concern.

The good news: because you’re building your own pizza, you have total visibility into what goes on it. No mystery ingredients, no assuming.

Build-Your-Own: The Whole Point

The “craft your own” model isn’t a gimmick at &pizza. It’s the philosophy. The menu exists as a starting point, not a ceiling.

For gluten-free and plant-based eaters, this matters because:

• You can skip any topping without feeling like you’re making a special request
• You can stack plant-based proteins alongside your vegetables of choice
• You can swap to gluten-free crust without needing to order from a separate “allergy menu”
• You can build something that genuinely reflects your taste, not just what was left after removing things

It’s also worth noting that most toppings at &pizza are free of the major common allergens by default — no gluten, egg, peanut, soy, or tree nuts unless specifically noted. That makes navigating the build-your-own process much easier for those with multiple dietary considerations.

Signature Pies With Plant-Based Builds

For those who prefer not to start from scratch, &pizza’s signature pies include options that work for plant-based and gluten-free diets — or can be easily modified to get there.

Pie	Plant-Based Version Available?	Gluten-Free Crust Available?
The Sheriff	Yes (tofu, vegan mozzarella)	Yes
Hot In Here	Yes (tofu, vegan mozzarella)	Yes
Vegan Knots	Yes (fully plant-based)	Yes
Build Your Own	Yes (your call)	Yes

Most signature pies can be swapped to gluten-free crust on request, and many can be made plant-based by requesting dairy-free cheese and a plant-based protein swap.

Who &pizza Is Really For

&pizza is unapologetically for everyone. That’s not just a brand line — it shows up in how the menu is built.

Gluten-free crusts exist alongside traditional ones. Plant-based proteins get the same real estate on the menu as meat. Dairy-free cheese is a standard option, not a special order. And the build-your-own model means you’re never navigating a menu designed for someone else.

For plant-based eaters who are also avoiding gluten, finding a fast-casual spot that genuinely serves both needs is rare. &pizza is one of the few places where you can walk in, build exactly what you want, and leave with something you’re actually excited to eat.

That’s what inclusivity through food looks like in practice.

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&pizza currently has locations across Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania — and they’re actively expanding, so your neighborhood may be next. Explore the full menu and find your nearest location at andpizza.com.

Note: Menu items and ingredients are subject to change. Always confirm current options with your local &pizza location, especially if you have a severe allergy or dietary restriction.

Photo Credit

Photo by: Anna Shvets

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