The Dimo’s Crew would like to take a moment to honor our most enthusiastic and energetic Crustomer of the Month to date. Don’t get us wrong, each and every one of our crustomers of the month over the years has worked hard to earn the title. This January’s title holder took his ‘za status to a whole new level though. Seriously, we think he broke some Guinness World records along the way.

Enter Ashvin Lad. A dedicated and friendly crustomer from the beginning, we had no idea just how far his enthusiasm stretched. Particularly in the realm of the twitterverse, which @ashvinlad is a regular member. Ashvin has proven that tweeting has power. In fact, with his help, we’ve proven that pizza has power too.

Actually, this whole story started with a slice of pizza. A Chicken Curry slice, to be exact. This was an idea Ashvin tweeted to us somewhat casually. Well, we are certainly not ones to turn down a challenge. Plus, we had just welcomed our Culinary Curator, which provided him with the perfect first assignment on the job. A week later we were testing curry sauce and grilled chicken.

When the time came for Ashvin to take his title and share his new special pizza, which debuted mid-January, he wasted no time spreading the word. Within a week, he had raised nearly $1,000 for Imerman Angels, a non-profit that provides one-on-one support for those battling cancer, he had gotten a write up in the online section of the Chicago Redeye, and he hosted a Pizza and Pensions Summit at our restaurant.

What exactly is a Pizza and Pension Summit? It essentially became a bi-partisan open forum for Illinois Representatives, as well as members of the Illinois Policy Institute, to meet, eat some pizza, and discuss possible solutions for the difficult challenges facing Illinois’ pension code. Of course, a complicated issue of this magnitude does not get solved over one lunch, but Dimo’s was honored to host the first (of hopefully many more) discussions about an issue that directly affects our employees, our crustomers, and our lives.

So, yes, Ashvin Lad has clearly set the bar high for our future crustomers. But the real lesson here? You don’t have to be crustomer of the month to make a difference. If you have an idea, no matter how big or small, we want to hear it! Collaboration is a great way to stir up change. And, it just so happens that pizza provides a great excuse to meet up and share ideas. Or at least, that’s our outlook.

Thank you, Ashvin!