Maria Arozamena, Illustrations Editor

Printed in bright bold letters overlooking the I-95 reads the message “Welcome to Connecticut, Home of the Pizza Capital of the United States.” 

The sign is one of several recently installed along Connecticut interstate highways, each one celebrating a distinct feature or an accomplishment of the state. Other variations display welcome messages such as “Home of the Basketball Capital of the World” and “Home of the Submarine Capital of the World.” 

Earlier this month, Governor Ned Lamont revealed the project, describing the signs at a press conference as “an invitation” to out-of-staters to visit “one of the best states to live, work and play.” The initiative comes alongside a state rebranding effort called “Make It Here” launched in 2023, although the new welcome signs are not affiliated with the campaign itself. 

“[The signs are] a great PR stunt,” said Colin Caplan, historian, entrepreneur and lifelong New Haven resident. “It is all about tourism, marketing Connecticut as the pizza state… This whole thing has been backed by everybody in the tourism office, because it’s free. It’s free marketing.”

The interstate highway signs were set to be replaced regardless of the initiative due to routine maintenance, Samaia Hernandez, a Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson, said. 

Collaborating with the Governor’s office and the State Office of Tourism, the DOT worked to create and install the new welcome signs, producing a bill of nearly $100,000. The signs, however, came at no added cost to taxpayers. The U.S. Department of Transportation provided around 80 percent of the funds, with the state DOT taking from its regular budget to cover the rest. 

Chief Marketing Officer at the Office of Tourism Anthony Anthony told the News that the signs were designed to “drive” the conversation about Connecticut’s reputation. He further outlined the initiative’s main objectives. 

“One, it’s to make a statement about Connecticut’s identity,” Anthony said. “Two, it’s to make sure that people coming into the state recognize that there is plenty to do and realizing when they come here, this is not just a pass through state. It is a drive-to state. And three, it’s to provide pride to our state residents.” 

This is not the first time Connecticut officials have declared superiority over other pizza hubs. On National Pizza Day earlier this year, Lamont declared Connecticut the “Pizza Capital” of the United States. Later in May, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut read a similar statement on the floor of Congress, introducing it into the Congressional Record. 

DeLauro was accompanied by New Haven pizza legends Sally’s Apizza and Frank Pepe’s alongside other New Haven pizza brands. Caplan — who was significantly involved in each of the statements — also took part in the celebration of DeLauro’s declaration. 

“We went to the steps of the Capitol and got loudspeakers,” said Caplan, describing the hours leading up to DeLauro’s statement. “We fed all the Capitol Police. We gave them pizza from Pepe’s [Alexandria, Virginia location].” He added, smiling, “New Haven style.” 

The signs have sparked friendly state rivalry, with Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey responding to the initiative on X: “You’re not even the pizza capital of the tri-state area.” 

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy similarly posted an altered image of a sign claiming Connecticut is the “Basketball Capital of the World.” She crossed out “Connecticut” and wrote “Massachusetts” in its place, as well as substituting Lamont’s name for her own. Alongside the photo, she quipped, “Fixed it.” While the sign’s message refers to University of Connecticut’s recent dominance in college basketball, Healey referenced basketball’s birth in Springfield, Mass. 

As of Wednesday, users had posted 4.1 billion impressions on social media regarding the new welcome signs, according to Anthony. He expressed enthusiasm for the amount of attention the initiative drew. 

“It was everything from Stephen Colbert just down to local media,” said Anthony. “Just for a comparison, our state tourism office earned 4.2 billion media impressions all of last year.” 

Caplan expressed a similar opinion, emphasizing that the initiative’s intention was not to exacerbate rivalry between states but instead to inspire “community pride.” 

The initiative has been embraced by local pizzerias, including Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s Apizza. Director of Marketing at Frank Pepe’s, Victoria Pierce, said that the signs recognized the long history of pizza in New Haven, “thrill[ing]” Pepe’s team. 

“We definitely feel [the state is] heading in the right direction to continue to embrace the New Haven Apizza culture and the pizza makers of CT,” said Christian Bonaventura, brand advisor at Sally’s. “As awareness grows, our mission is to bring the best pizza experience to more and more communities.” 

The apizza style originated in New Haven in the 1920s.