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Are $1 Slices Killing Manhattan's Corner Pizzerias?
By
Nell Casey
Published Apr 15, 2013
Modified Apr 15, 2013
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By
Nell Casey
Published Apr 15, 2013
Modified Apr 15, 2013
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The proliferation of dollar slices may be good for your wallet but it may also mean the death of the classic corner pizzeria still trying to serve a quality slice. A piece in the WSJ illuminates the struggles of Manhattan's "midpriced" pizzerias as they compete with the super cheap dough-sauce-cheese joints that are popping up everywhere. "The 99-cent slice is a giant step towards killing the classic New York pizza experience," says Las Vegas pizza professor John Arena. "What's next, $1 lox and 10-cent bagels?"
To stay relevant in the Manhattan slice scene, some pizzeria owners are cutting prices to stay competitive. East Village pizzeria Vinny Vincenz lowered the price of a plain slice from $2.50 to $1 after a 2 Bros. Pizza opened next door; owner Ary Alami noted regulars were choosing the cheap creations over his own. But others, like Joe's Pizza, which opened a second location earlier this year, refuse to buckle under the price pressure to cater to deal seekers, but worry the uninitiated may not understand the quality difference. "I'm worried that our slice will be equated with that slice, when it's a totally different deal," Pino "Joe" Pozzuoli Jr. told the Journal.
It remains to be seen whether all future pizza purchases will be made for a buck or whether the dollar slice dreams of a cheapskate city will fold like so many floppy slices. Other boroughs have been saved the scourge of the cheap slice, at least for now, so your $3.25 slice of heaven from Best Pizza won't be threatened in the near future. But maybe Manhattan pizzerias should employ some Brooklyn-style tactics to lure customers to their shops. We're sure they can find inspiration somewhere.
Tagged
cheap food
dollar slices
pizza
pizzeria
Nell Casey
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