When Jason Halkias dug into a slice at the Pizza Ranch restaurant in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Tuesday, he was able to mark off the 224th — and last — location on his list.
“The quest is complete,” Halkias said Tuesday night.
Halkias, a 38-year-old resident of Davenport, Iowa, began visiting Pizza Ranch restaurants as a hobby in 2014. He said he started visiting different locations while dating a woman who was a fan of the pizza chain. After the relationship ended, he said he wanted to keep visiting Pizza Ranches.
Halkias, a custodian at a YMCA, self-funds his trips and said he does not receive money from the Orange City, Iowa-based restaurant chain. Megan Lovin, a spokeswoman for Pizza Ranch, confirmed in September that Halkias is paying his own way.
His pizza pilgrimage has brought Halkias all over America, including to all 44 locations in Minnesota. On his trips, he often takes detours to see the sights on the way, such as the remnants of the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.
On a recent “swing” to visit a Pizza Ranch in Tennessee, he visited the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, he said.
At home, Halkias has a closet overflowing with gifts from all the pizzerias he’s visited: hats, hoodies, a squishy football.
On Tuesday, the restaurant in Sioux Center gave Halkias a plaque recognizing his dedication.
