08/20/2026
💙💛 INCLUSION AT ROMA PIZZA — EVERYONE HAS A PLACE HERE 💛💙
If you have spent much time at Roma Pizza, chances are you know Justin. Justin isn’t simply someone you see around the restaurant—he is our brother, part of our Roma family, and he happens to have Down syndrome. He is loved, valued, and wanted here exactly as he is.
At Roma, being part of our community means more than serving food. It means INCLUSION. It means accepting people of all abilities, providing opportunities, and creating a place where everyone has the chance to participate in everyday life.
Several members of our team also work professionally with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Because inclusion is so important to us, Roma partners with schools and community agencies to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Students in Exceptional Children’s (EC) programs may come to Roma for job-shadowing or volunteer hours as part of their educational and graduation goals. We also welcome individuals who participate in supported employment, sometimes alongside Direct Support Professionals who help guide them as they develop independence, social skills, job skills, and confidence.
That also means you may occasionally see something at Roma that you don’t completely understand.
An individual may communicate differently. They may become overwhelmed or display a behavior. They may be working toward a specific goal or following a structured plan. They may have dietary restrictions or need additional support.
Please give them grace. 💙
Our staff and support professionals are there to help. If an individual becomes overwhelmed or a behavior occurs, we will work with them appropriately—whether that means helping them regulate, redirecting them, or moving them to a quieter environment.
There may also be times when someone asks us questions about an individual and we cannot provide an explanation. Confidentiality matters. Just as someone’s medical information is private, we cannot disclose whether someone receives services, has a disability, or why a particular support or intervention is being used.
What we can tell you is this:
They belong here.
They deserve the opportunity to work.
They deserve the opportunity to volunteer.
They deserve to learn new skills.
They deserve friendships and independence.
They deserve to go into their community without feeling like everyone is watching or judging them.
And they deserve the same kindness and respect we would want for anyone we love.
Sometimes true inclusion isn’t perfectly quiet, perfectly organized, or something everyone immediately understands. Sometimes inclusion means giving someone the opportunity to learn how to navigate the same everyday world the rest of us do.
At Roma Pizza, we don’t want to simply TALK about inclusion—we want to LIVE IT.
So when you see Justin helping around Roma, a student completing volunteer hours, or an individual learning new skills alongside their support professional, we hope you’ll do something very simple:
Smile. Say hello. Encourage them. Give them grace. And help us make them feel like they belong—because they do. 💙💛
At Roma, there is a place at our table for EVERYONE.
🍕❤️ Different abilities. Same community. Same respect. Same belonging.
