Donatos was founded in 1963 when my father, Jim Grote, bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, as a sophomore at Ohio State University for $1,300 from a young seminarian. Growing up, my dad was advised to be tough in business and nice at home. However, he knew that when he started a business of his own that he was determined to stray from that outdated idea and choose a new path: to treat others the way he wanted to be treated and to lead with love in every decision that was made.