Old Scratch Pizza will close for a ‘company holiday’ on Election Day, founder says

Eric Soller, co-founder with his wife Stephanie Soller of Old Scratch Pizza, has announced both his Dayton and Washington Twp. restaurants will shut down for Election Day, to allow his employees easier access to voting.

Eric Soller, co-founder with his wife Stephanie Soller of Old Scratch Pizza, has announced both his Dayton and Washington Twp. restaurants will shut down for Election Day, to allow his employees easier access to voting.

The founder of Old Scratch Pizza has decided to close both the Dayton and Washington Twp. restaurants for Election Day, essentially treating the day as a company holiday to allow his employees easier access to voting.

“Voting is one of our principal rights as citizens, and the foundation of our democracy,” Eric Soller, co-founder with his wife Stephanie of Old Scratch Pizza, told this news outlet. “The restaurant industry makes up over 10 percent of America’s workforce, but restaurant schedules often make it difficult to vote on Election Day. Although Ohio has many good options, including early voting and absentee ballots, we chose to view Election Day as a company holiday, closing our locations so as to remove as many barriers as possible so that our employees could participate.”

On the Old Scratch Facebook page, Soller wrote, “One-hundred days from today, we get the opportunity to make our voices heard by voting. ... This is how we make change. No vote is wasted, and at the very least, it gives us the right to complain.”

Also Included in the Facebook post were links, instructions and reminders regarding the deadline to register to vote (Oct. 5), the date that in-person early voting begins at local boards of elections offices, and the procedures for obtaining an absentee ballot.

Soller’s decision was well-received by many who commented on Facebook.

“Thank you for enabling your employees to do their civic duty,” one commenter wrote. Another said, “Excellent care for your employees and for our democratic processes.

Another wrote, “Thank you for having a non-biased post. More people need to be like this!”

100 days from today we get the opportunity to make our voices heard by voting. To ensure that all of our employees can...

Posted by Old Scratch Pizza on Sunday, July 26, 2020

The Sollers opened Old Scratch Pizza at 800 S. Patterson Blvd. in Dayton in October 2016. A second location at 440 Miamisburg-Centerville Road (State Route 725) in Washington Twp. opened in October 2019.

The pizzeria/beer hall locations serve Naples-style pizzas cooked in wood-fired ovens, and feature a variety of craft beers on tap as well as a wine and cocktail list. Curbside pickup is available.

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