Homegrown pizza franchise &pizza has expanded rapidly since it opened its very first location on H Street in 2012.

Elvert Barnes / Flickr

Local chain &pizza and several other popular businesses in the District are facing threats of boycotts after news surfaced that they are financed by a wealthy investor raising money for President Donald Trump.

The backlash comes after the Washington Post reported Tuesday that Stephen Ross, the chairman and majority owner of the Related Companies, a real estate investment firm, is throwing an exorbitant fundraiser for Trump’s re-election campaign.

The Related Companies owns the popular fitness brands SoulCycle and Equinox Fitness, which have multiple locations in the D.C. area.  

Ross also founded and serves as chairman of RSE Ventures, which has invested in dozens of businesses that include &pizza, D.C.’s homegrown fast-casual pizza chain, according to the private equity firm’s website.

In 2017, &pizza received $19.5 million from RSE, according to Eater, to fund its expansion to several new cities. At the time, &pizza owner Michael Lastoria said that RSE Ventures was an “ideal partner” for his company. “RSE understands and supports our vision and how we do things, and has deep brand-building and scaling experience,” Lastoria said in a press release shortly after the investment.

Tickets to Ross’ fundraiser in the Hamptons are going for prices between $100,000 and $250,000, the Post reported, and the high-flying affair will include many Trump perks, including a luncheon, a private roundtable, and a photo session with the president.

But in the District, &pizza owner Michael Lastoria has acquired a reputation for being a progressive-minded entrepreneur. In 2016, he got behind a campaign to raise D.C.’s minimum wage. And earlier this year, the company donated 20,000 pizzas to federal employees furloughed in the weeks-long government shutdown.

Back in 2018, Lastoria told Adweek that, as an entrepreneur, the main principles of his business were “design-driven, culture-centric, brand-led, and, most importantly, morally sound.” Lastoria added that he hoped &pizza could grow on a international scale “without falling into the trappings of an industry leader.”

On Twitter, several users called for a boycott of the brand after they learned of Ross’s investment in the company.

A spokesperson for &pizza declined to comment on the boycott threats.

SoulCycle, a gym that offers sweat-inducing workouts on stationary bicycles, also experienced an online backlash, including a celebrity-backed call for a boycott. The popular franchise has four locations in the District, plus one in Arlington and another in Bethesda.

The SoulCycle brand regularly backs progressive causes like LGBTQ rights. Among celebrities, it has something of a cult following, with notable devotees like Lady Gaga, Chelsea Clinton, Lena Dunham, and even Michelle Obama.

SoulCycle tweeted a statement from CEO Melanie Whelan, saying that the company “in no way endorses” the political fundraiser for Trump. Whelan said that Ross is a “passive investor” in the SoulCycle franchise.

https://twitter.com/soulcycle/status/1159188670081114113

Employees at several SoulCycle locations in D.C. declined to comment on the proposed boycott.

Equinox Fitness, a high-end sports club with two locations in the D.C. area, released a similar statement on Wednesday, saying “we want to let you know that Equinox and SoulCylce have nothing to do with the event and do not support it.” Employees at D.C. locations also declined to answer questions.

According to Related’s website, the multi-billion dollar company also backs food companies Momofuku, Milkbar, and Bluestone Lane coffee, all of which have one or more locations in the District. And the company is the principal developer of Hudson Yards, a gargantuan real estate project in Manhattan that has faced scrutiny for catering to the ultra-rich.

Filed Under: andpizza, boycott, soulcycle, trump,