MOD Pizza – People First

“Welcome to MOD Pizza!”

Walk into any MOD Pizza, and you’ll be warmly and loudly welcomed by the staff behind the counter and in the dining room. MOD Pizza takes being a welcoming place to a higher level. It’s part of their mission – their people-first mission.

Spreading MODness means many things, but mostly it means treating their employees well. By putting people first, MOD Pizza strives to be a force for positive change in the lives of their staff, and the communities they serve. From above-industry pay and benefits, to hiring people with special needs – including people in need of a second chance – their ethos is deeply rooted in acceptance, opportunity and development. What is the result? An amazing spirit of individuality, teamwork, and service has emerged. It’s their culture of doing good – and it’s catching on.

A Valued Employment Partner

St. Louis Arc is honored to partner with MOD Pizza as an inclusive employer. Since September 2016, MOD Pizza has hired two people supported by the Arc’s Employment Services Department. Holt was the first person hired by the Ellisville location in September, and Mariah was hired in May 2017, to work at the new Maryland Heights restaurant.

Rosa Vance, an Arc Employment Specialist said, “Holt is without a doubt part of the MOD team. As soon as Holt walks in, he greets coworkers by name and they engage in conversation before he begins working. He said he feels included because he often sees regulars and people from his high school. Last week Holt began training on the dishwasher. His supervisor wanted Holt to learn a new skill that he would be able to use if he left MOD.”  Though, neither Holt nor his supervisor wants him to move on. Holt loves his job and is very happy working there!  He loves talking with the customers, many of whom are friends and former classmates.

Mariah has worked at MOD Pizza for almost three weeks and has quickly become part of the team. Mariah made the manager who interviewed her laugh and that helped her get hired.“It is a really fun place to work and they pay good.  I love cleaning and they let me do it a lot because it’s something I’m good at,” Mariah said.

Scott Rogers, the Maryland Heights General Manager, said, “We loved Mariah and her quirky personality, so it was a no-brainer to make her a part of the MOD team.  We are happy to put her in a place where she can enjoy work.   You get to be yourself at MOD!  She gets great support from St. Louis Arc, which helps with training, and to ensure Mariah is successful.”

MOD Pizza – Doing Good for the Community

MOD Pizza is an outstanding community partner to St. Louis Arc in other ways, too. Recently, MOD held a fund raising event at the Kirkwood location benefitting the Arc.

MOD Pizza has also won several community impact awards across the country for hiring people with intellectual disabilities, in addition to hiring people who need a second chance.  Enter a MOD Pizza and you will see the employees find meaning in their work.  The atmosphere is welcoming, as they appreciate individuality and encourage their employees to be themselves. Like many businesses that talk about inclusiveness, MOD puts it into practice every day.  Almost like proud parents, they boast about their employees, aka the MOD Squad. Perhaps part of their mission statement should include, “Eat Pizza, Do Good.”   https://modpizza.com/