What to know
- In 2018, an arson fire destroyed the founders’ uninsured apartment, forcing them into homelessness. Despite this hardship, the founders began rebuilding their lives with the generous support and donations from the Toronto community.
- Hooray For Pizza Day will give away 100 free Detroit-style sourdough margherita pizzas on March 23, 2026, at Comedy Bar Danforth (2800 Danforth Avenue). One pizza per customer, starting at 5:30 p.m.; arrive early to ensure you get one.
- The founders are actively scouting a second location, which could bring their award-winning pies to more Toronto neighbourhoods.
Free pizza is on the menu as Hooray For Pizza Day is set to give away 100 pies to thank the community that supported them after a devastating arson fire destroyed their home.
Hooray For Pizza Day’s story
On March 13, 2018, the founders of Hooray For Pizza Day, Adam Ward and Sasha Warunkiewicz faced an unexpected tragedy when their apartment unit burned down – forcing them to say goodbye to their personal items, memories, and temporarily leaving them unhoused.
“It’s funny too, because going back to the fire and getting some of the stuff that we still had in our unit, there was literally an Amazon delivery… and it was Mexico: The Cookbook,” said Ward.
Ward “dragged that thing around” while in search of a new place to call home and used the cookbook as motivation. “We slowly focused on food development and using the food as therapy and something to focus on during that moment in our lives,” Ward said.
Instead of trying to restore his previous life, Ward chose to channel the trauma into learning how to be a chef, leaving his sales career behind.
“It wasn’t a plan [to open up the business]. It was just, what do I love to do that I can focus on and then just doing that – leaning into it,” Ward explained.
That’s when Ward and Warunkiewicz’s pizza-making journey began. The pair started working out of the ninth floor of their new condo, but it wasn’t easy – Ward shared he had to get creative to make the at-home business work.
“It was being very creative on how to fit as much dough into our fridge and how to put the ketchup bottles, squeeze them into Ziploc containers and then maximize your room in the fridge because we only have so much space,” he explained.
At that time, the pair sold 20 pizzas Monday through Thursday and about 40 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Coming from experiencing homelessness to opening an at-home pizza business, the pair has come a long way. Comedy Bar Danforth has since become the home of Hooray For Pizza Day, finally giving them a proper kitchen to operate out of.
Torontonians have come together for the pair throughout their entire journey since the fire. From the firemen who climbed up to their window, saving their family and cats, to the owners and customers of the comedy bar, and everyone in their friends and community who contributed to their GoFundMe because the pair did not have insurance to help with the loss and damages from the fire, Ward and Warunkiewicz say they feel incredibly grateful.
How does the giveaway work?
To show their gratitude to the community, the founders of Hooray For Pizza Day decided to give away 100 free pizzas.
The giveaway starts at Comedy Bar Danforth, 2800 Danforth Avenue, on March 23, at 5:30 p.m, where guests can receive one free margherita pizza per person.
“Get in line early and come hungry,” Ward tells Torontonians.
What makes Hooray For Pizza Day special?
Beyond overcoming very difficult challenges in life, the business’ pizza reflects on creativity. Ward shared that with these creative skills, the Hawaiian pizza won second place at the Canadian Pizza Summit in 2025, featuring techniques like using a salt brine on the pork shoulder, and adding a pineapple glaze with chili peppers and honey for a touch of flavourful sweetness.
This creative twist on the original Hawaiian pizza, which was invented in the 1950s-1960s, is just one of the many pizzas offered at Hooray For Pizza Day.
For the giveaway, Ward explains he chose a Detroit-style sourdough margherita pizza for one reason: because it’s simple. “If you can impress somebody with that pizza, it shows that you’re doing the best quality ingredients that you can do, and we attempt to do that with every pizza,” Ward said. “I think people are going to be blown away, especially if they’re discovering us for the first time,” he added.
Hooray For Pizza Day’s future
The founders are hoping to expand to a second location someday – meaning more pizzas possibly coming to your neighbourhood.
Ward reflects on his humble beginnings and thanks the community for their support and for always “[giving] accolades to the chef.”
