Pizza came to the American South later than it arrived in the Northeast, and it developed differently as a result. Understanding this history helps explain why Southern pizza — and North Georgia pizza in particular — tastes the way it does.
Pizza arrived in the US with Italian immigrants in the late 1800s. The first pizzerias opened in New York, Boston, and Chicago, cities with large Italian immigrant populations. The South, with fewer Italian immigrants, did not develop a pizza culture until after World War II.
The post-war boom brought pizza south. Returning soldiers who had eaten pizza in Italy and in Northern US cities came home wanting more. Pizza chains expanded into Southern markets in the 1960s and 1970s. Independent pizzeria owners moved south from New York and New Jersey, bringing their recipes with them.
Southern pizza adapted to local tastes. The pizza that developed in the South is distinct from Northern styles. It tends to have a thinner, crispier crust — a holdover from the conveyor ovens that became popular in fast-casual pizza operations. Toppings are generous, prices are lower, and the atmosphere is more casual than the red-checkered-tablecloth Italian stereotype.
North Georgia pizza draws from multiple traditions. Because the region is a destination for tourists from across the country, its pizza restaurants reflect a blend of influences. You will find New York-style from transplanted Northerners, Neapolitan from trained pizzaiolos who moved to the mountains, and Southern-style thin crust from local operators who have been making pizza the same way for decades.