MADISON — Discover Wisconsin, the state’s leading media brand and tourism TV show, has announced its partnership with Pep’s Drafthaus Original Pizza, establishing the historic, Wisconsin-grown company as the Official Pizza of Wisconsin. Pep’s Drafthaus Original Pizza is owned by Green Bay-based Hansen Foods. 

Discover Wisconsin and Pep’s Drafthaus Original Pizza will be collaborating to produce content that will be released via Discover Wisconsin’s broadcast and digital channels. 

Joseph “Pep” Simek Sr, a businessman originally from Ogema, Wis., and his brother, Ron, became co-owners and bartenders of the Tombstone Tavern in Medford, Wis. in 1962. The brothers set up a side business making pizzas at the tavern, and with the popularity of the pizzas came Tombstone Pizza, of which Pep served as the CEO until the business was sold to Kraft Foods in 1986. Pep went on to open a second Pizzeria, Pep’s Pizza, and expanded to work with Hansen Foods to produce a frozen line and expand sales beyond Wisconsin. Hansen Foods purchased Pep’s Pizza upon Pep’s passing in 2013, and continues to honor the tradition with Pep’s Drafthaus Original Pizzas and Pep’s Flatbread Pizzas.

Discover Wisconsin reaches a broadcast network of 600,000 viewers across the upper Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Northern Illinois and Upper Michigan, as well as a large following on digital and social platforms. The show can be streamed online at discoverwisconsin.com and on Roku TV.