Louisville Pizza Week returns. Here's your guide to enjoying $8 pizza all week long

Courier Journal

If meal planning for next week sounds like a chore, you can save some time — and some money — with discounted pizzas from your favorite Louisville restaurants from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17.

For a whole week, cheesy pizzas with various toppings are just $8 at 13 different Louisville and Southern Indiana pizza restaurants.

Just like Louisville Burger Week, Louisville Pizza Week offers a "passport" that can be stamped by a restaurant for each full pie ordered. Earning four or more stamps enters your name to win more than $250 in gift cards.

That's up from three stamps last year, for one reason: encouraging guests to try out new places, said Pizza Week founder Tony Frank.

"We want folks to explore, not go to just one place," Frank said. "See if you can conquer the passport and defeat Louisville Pizza Week, as it were."

Last year's Pizza Week was the inaugural event and smashed all expectations, Frank said. Some restaurants did double or triple the traffic they expected. One sold more than 1,000 pizza specials, another sold 952 and another sold more than 600.

"We wanted the pizzas to be an $8 minimum 10-inch pizza so that it's a good deal for the customer without being crazy enough a restaurant can't break even on food cost," Frank said. "It went very well because Louisville is a foodie town. People like to get out and explore."

When you're exploring this year's event, make sure to check out the drink specials from this year's sponsors — Goodwood Brewing Co. and Old 502 Winery — as well.

The 2019 participants include:

8th St. Pizza: 800 E. Eighth St., New Albany, Indiana, 502-645-6974
BoomBozz: (three locations): Highlands, 1448 Bardstown Road, 502-458-8889; J-Town, 1890 S. Hurstbourne Parkway, 502-491-4111; Jeffersonville, 1450 Veterans Parkway, 812-913-4171
Borromeo's: 8607 Smyrna Parkway, 502-968-7743
Danny Mac's Pizza: 1860 Mellwood Ave., 502-890-6331
Louisville Coals Artisan Pizza (two locations): 3730 Frankfort Ave., 502-742-8200; 11615 Shelbyville Road, 502-253-0106
Goodwood Brewing Co.: 636 E. Main St., 502-584-2739
Griff's: 133 W. Liberty St., 502-939-3535
Parlour: 131 W. Chestnut St., Jeffersonville, Indiana, 812-914-7400
Pizza Bar Louisville: 445 S. Fourth St., 502-915-8113
Sarino: 1030 Goss Ave., 502-822-3777
Tim Tam Tavern: 1022 Clarks Lane, 502-883-0101
Topp't (two locations): 379 Professional Court, New Albany, Indiana, 812-725-8891; 323 W. Cardinal Blvd., 502-290-1379
Wick's Pizza Parlor: (three locations) 975 Baxter Ave., 502-458-1828; 3348 Hikes Lane, Suite 103, 502-907-5542; 225 State St., New Albany, Indiana, 812-945-9425

More details about what each location is offering guests during this weeklong event can be found at louisvillepizzaweek.com. But here's a sneak peek at a few of the offerings:

Goodwood Brewing Co.: Check out a 10-inch smoked beer cheese from this brewery. It's a margarita pizza topped with chicken, smoked tomato, bacon and provolone beer cheese.

Topp't Handcrafted Pizzas + Chopped Salads: Here you can grab a 10-inch two-topping pizza, a drink and a s'mores stick or mini cinnamon sticks.

Coal Artisan Pizza: This joint has two specialty 12-inch pizzas, including "The Bardstown Pizza," a white pizza with wild mushrooms, roasted garlic, caramelized onions and mascarpone and ricotta cheese, finished with oregano and Romano cheese.

Sarino: This shop will sell a 12-inch sausage pizza for the event, topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fiore di latte mozzarella, house-made Italian fennel sausage and torn basil.

BoomBozz: These locations will sell a 12-inch green chile chicken pizza, topped with marinated grilled chicken, garlic cream sauce, bacon, peppadew peppers, red onions, Asiago, goat and mozzarella cheeses and a drizzle of green chile jam.

You can get in early on the 'za action during the Louisville Pizza Week Kick-Off Party on Nov. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Old 502 Winery, 120 S. 10th St. You can get a sneak peek of the specials, enjoy music and drinks and pick up your pizza passport. If you also grab an Old 502 Wine, you'll get an extra Pizza Week stamp on your passport, easy cheesy.

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Before you head out to restaurants for Louisville Pizza Week, here are few tips to keep in mind:

Louisville Pizza Week tips

There are good deals, but Louisville Pizza Week is about trying new restaurants:

To help keep you motivated, Louisville Pizza Week passports will help guide pizza lovers to participating restaurants. Passports can be picked up at each participating location starting Monday and will be stamped by the restaurant for each full pie ordered.

Earn four or more stamps, and you will be entered to win over $250 in gift cards.

Be patient, pizza lovers. There may be a wait.

If the popularity of Louisville Burger Week is any indication, expect the restaurants taking part in Louisville Pizza Week to be extremely busy. Don't be surprised if you have to wait for a bit and try to arrive early while the supply of ingredients is still plentiful.

Don't be stingy. Tip like a pro.

The $8 pizza price brings out the cheap in all of us, but really, you’re likely getting a $15+ pizza, so you should tip at least 20%.

Buy a drink — and maybe a salad.

The purchase of sides and extras is not a requirement. But we think it says a lot to those working hard to bring you an extraordinary experience. Grab a beer and say thanks.

You can share your experiences on social media by mentioning @louisvillepizzaweek and #502PizzaWeek on Instagram and Twitter.

Reporter Kirby Adams contributed to this report. Reach reporter Dahlia Ghabour: 502-582-4497; dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour. Support strong journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscriberguide.

Louisville Pizza Week

WHAT: Louisville Pizza Week offers $8 10-inch pizzas, plus Goodwood Brewing Co. beer and Old 502 Winery specials at participating restaurants in the Louisville area.

WHERE: Numerous locations. Visit louisvillepizzaweek.com for a complete list.

WHEN: Nov. 11-17

MORE INFORMATION: This is an all-ages event, but some locations may be 21-plus. Collect four or more stamps in your Pizza Passport to be entered to win $250 in restaurant gift cards.