Portable meals and snacks are perfect for summer because they’re quick, convenient, and mess-free. Whether you’re at the beach, having a picnic in the park, or on a road trip, handheld options like sandwiches, wraps—or in this case, calzones—are easy to carry and eat without needing to sit down at a table and use utensils. Plus, they often come in light, fresh varieties that are ideal for hot weather, making them a delicious choice for summer.
Donatos Pizza recognizes this and has created the best portable meal that’s perfect for this season. Known for its generously topped thin-crust pizzas, Donatos has taken their fan favorite pizza and turned it into the Calzato—a handheld pizza that features a crispy, cheesy exterior with a melty inside, packed with toppings just how customers like it.
The Calzato takes after the calzone, a type of folded pizza that’s stuffed with a variety of ingredients, such as cheeses, meats, and vegetables. The dough is folded over to create a pocket, sealed, and baked until it’s golden brown. Donatos is offering their Calzatos at an introductory price of just $7.99 for a limited time, until July 28.
Donatos’ Calzato: The Ultimate Portable Pizza
The Calzato is more than just a folded pizza; it’s Donatos’ answer to the demand for convenient and flavorful food that fits busy lifestyles. Imagine this: you’re on the go but need something to fuel your body for what’s ahead. Enter, the Calzato.
Crafted with Donatos’ signature thin dough and customizable with up to three toppings, each Calzato is folded and baked to a golden crisp. It’s topped with a cheesy blend of Asiago, Romano, and olive oil. Each Calzato is then cut into two convenient pieces, placed in a neat package for portability, making it easy to eat on the move. It also comes with a side of marinara sauce should you want more than what’s already included in the filling.
Donatos Pizza’s Chief Marketing Officer Jodie Conrad expressed her excitement about the introduction of the Calzato, saying that it’s the brand’s way of catering to busy and on-the-go customers. Conrad adds that the Calzato was designed to fit in one hand, making it the perfect option for pizza lovers who want a satisfying meal without needing to slow down. Donatos has had calzones before, but it looks like this is going to be a fresh take on the Italian dish.
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What do the reviews say?
Because the Calzato is a new menu item, reviews on it are still limited. However, there is one available on YouTube, and it tells us that Donatos’ Calzatos are big, stuffed, flavor-packed, and worth every penny of the $7.99 you pay for.
The reviewer adds that the Calzato has an unexplainable but delightful texture when bitten into. The Calzato could be a little cheesier too, according to video, but that’s likely something that varies. Overall, the Calzato seems like it would be the ideal single-serve option to grab whenever you want something fast, satisfying and flavorful.
A Quick Look at Donatos’ Humble Beginnings
Donatos Pizza has been serving up delicious pizzas since 1963. The founder, Jim Grote, started with one pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio. He had a simple goal: to make the best pizza possible. Grote believed in using quality ingredients and a special thin crust, which is what his brand is known for today.
Eventually, Donatos expanded its menu while still holding onto its classic recipes. Even as the company grew to over 175 stores and partnered with other chains like Red Robin restaurants, Donatos stays true to its roots. The launch of its brand-new Calzato shows that they’re still big on innovation and finding new ways to bring their delicious pizza to people.
Remember, the brand is offering their Calzatos for just $7.99, until July 28. To see more of Donatos’ menu offerings, visit their official website and follow their social media platforms.
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From The Club
I know calzones are single-serve handheld wonders that are best to get for convenience (and a good dose of calories!), but I’ve actually not had a lot of calzones in my 30-plus years of existence. And if I recall correctly, the last time I had a calzone, I didn’t really like it. I found it too heavy, the dough was too hard, and it was just downright greasy. But that was probably on the place I bought it from. Donatos’ Calzatos, on the other hand, looks like it would be a different experience. I would imagine that the brand’s famous thin dough makes all the difference in terms of texture. Combine that with the abundance of toppings Donatos is known for, and I’ll definitely give the calzone another shot if it means biting into a really good Calzato.