National Pizza Week Is Here: Tasty Deals Happening In New Jersey

National Pizza Week might be a made-up holiday, but it doesn’t make the delicious deals that restaurants are offering in New Jersey any less real.

No matter how you like your slice, from the classic cheese or pepperoni toppings all the way to the more-adventurous mushroom or pineapple creations, it would be a missed opportunity for all red-sauce and bread lovers to not celebrate the week.

The origin story of pizza stretches throughout the world, as flatbreads with toppings were consumed by ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, according to History.com.

However, the concept and construction of modern pizza is generally agreed to have happened in southwestern Italy's Campania region, in the city of Naples.

Legend has it that King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889 and, after becoming bored of their unrelenting diet of French cuisine, asked for an assortment of pizzas from the city's Pizzeria Brandi, according to History.com.

Queen Margherita's favorite pizza? A pie topped with soft white cheese, red tomatoes and green basil.

In terms of pizza in the United States, Lombardi's on Spring Street in Manhattan is generally dubbed as one of the first licensed restaurants to sell pizza in America, opening in 1905.

Many national chain restaurants are now offering limited-time items in honor of the pizza-devoted week.

If you know of a pizzeria offering discounted prices but is not on the list, please add it in the comments below.

Here are some of the best deals being offered by national chain restaurants in New Jersey.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: For a Monday special, get half off any large deep dish or tavern cut pizza.

Blaze Pizza: Don’t miss out on Blaze’s Take Two deal and get a half pizza plus your choice of one side salad or four Dough Knots for $9.95.

Domino’s: You can get two of the following menu items for $5.99 each: medium two-topping pizza, bread twists, salad, marbled cookie brownie, specialty chicken, oven-baked sandwich, stuffed cheesy bread, eight-piece boneless chicken or pasta in a dish.

Little Caesars: You can get the restaurant’s Hot-N-Ready ExtraMostBestest Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza for $6.49.

Papa John’s: Taste Papa John’s new extra cheesy Alfredo garlic parmesan crust pizza priced at $10.

Pizza Hut: Get 50 percent off menu-priced pizzas when you use the code FIFTYOFFNY, and also try out their large Meat Lover’s Pizza for $10.

We know there are lots of local pizzerias that may be offering specials during the week as well. If you have one, share it in the comments below. Make sure you give the address and town.