Iowa man Jason Halkias completes the quest to visit every Pizza Ranch

When Jason Halkias dug into the Pizza Ranch restaurant in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Tuesday, he was able to mark the 244th – and final – location on his list.

“The search is complete,” Halkias said Tuesday evening.

Halkias, a 38-year-old resident of Davenport, Iowa, started visiting Pizza Ranch restaurants as a hobby in 2014. He said he started visiting different locations while dating a woman who was a fan of the pizza chain. After the relationship ended, he said he wanted to continue visiting Pizza Ranches.

Halkias, a custodian at a YMCA, funds his own travel and says he receives no money from the Orange City, Iowa-based restaurant chain. Megan Lovin, a spokeswoman for Pizza Ranch, confirmed in September that Halkias will pay his own costs.

His pizza pilgrimage has taken Halkias all over America, including to all 44 locations in Minnesota. During his travels, he often takes detours to see the sights along the way, such as the remains of the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.

During a recent “swing” to visit a Pizza Ranch in Tennessee, he visited the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, he said.

At home, Halkias has a cupboard full of gifts from all the pizzerias he has visited: hats, hoodies, a soft football.

On Tuesday, the restaurant in Sioux Center, Iowa, presented Halkias with a plaque recognizing his dedication.