Dollar slice
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The dollar slice is a phenomenon in New York City of pizza sold by the slice for one U.S. dollar. The business model involves slimmer profit margins on a high volume of pizzas sold. The dollar slice is popular as an affordable food option.
The first dollar-slice shop in New York was 99 Cent Fresh Pizza in 2001. Early dollar-slice shops served homeless people in the city. The concept became more popular during the Great Recession. The chain 2 Bros. Pizza opened in 2008 and influenced the establishment of several dollar-slice chains in the 2000s. Inflation led to many establishments raising their prices above one dollar, especially during the 2020s.
History
[edit]Pizza originated in 19th-century Naples, where individual slices of pizza were sold at a low price, though modern pizzerias in Naples do not sell slices.[1] Italians in New York City introduced pizza to the city by the end of the century. Pizza by the slice became common in the city in the 1940s.[2]
The phenomenon of selling pizza for one dollar originated with 99 Cent Fresh Pizza, which opened in 2001.[3][4] Its owner, Mohammad Hossain, chose to sell pizza for $1.00 to serve New York City's homeless population.[4] Early dollar-slice shops were located near homeless shelters.[3][2]
The dollar slice was popularized during the 2008 recession, when outlets opened at locations with many pedestrians or subway commuters.[2] The chain 2 Bros. Pizza opened in 2008 on St. Mark's Place in the East Village. It initially sold one-dollar slices as an opening-day promotion, but decided to keep doing it.[4] It became a competitor of 99 Cent Fresh.[4] By 2010, the city had about fifteen places selling dollar slices; 2 Bros and 99 Cent Fresh each had four locations. At the time, both chains priced a combo meal with two slices and a soda at $2.75.[4] The popularity of 2 Bros. led to the opening of several similar chains in the 2010s.[3] In 2012, 2 Bros location on Avenue of the Americas entered a price war with a nearby dollar slice shop called Bombay Fast Food/6 Ave. Pizza. The price at both establishments reached a low of 75¢ in March before they agreed to fix the price at $1 in September.[5][6]
As inflation occurred, many businesses raised their prices to $1.50 or higher.[7] High inflation in the 2020s made it difficult for dollar slice businesses to make a profit; many reported their revenue going down by 50% since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Prices of ingredients such as flour and pepperoni increased, while the increase in food delivery during the pandemic led to a shortage of products such as pizza boxes. However, the price of cheese decreased in 2022, in part due to dairy subsidies, enabling prices to remain low for some businesses.[3][2] The lack of pedestrian traffic from office workers and tourists further lowered profits. Few establishments, including 99 Cent Fresh and older locations of 2 Bros., continued to sell for one dollar in 2021.[3] All locations of 2 Bros. increased their price to $1.50 by March 2023, when the original location changed its price.[8] In New Jersey, two establishments selling dollar slices remained in 2023.[9]
Popularity
[edit]The culture of the dollar slice is unique to New York City. The city has dozens of dollar-slice shops.[3] The dollar slice is popular as a cheap, fast food option in the city, which has a high cost of living.[2] Many pizza critics dislike the dollar slice phenomenon and believe it has caused a decline in mid-range shops where a slice costs $2.50. Dollar slice businesses argue that such shops are also low quality and that the dollar slice is more affordable.[3]
Dollar slice establishments have a business model of selling a large quantity of pizzas with a small profit margin. Most use electric ovens to enable making up to 400 pizzas daily, though this results in unevenly cooked pizzas.[7] Many such businesses are open 24 hours and appeal to customers at night.[10] They operate at properties with low rents and sometimes rely on discounts from landlords.[3] Employees, often immigrants, work eight- to ten-hour shifts.[10]
See also
[edit]- Pizza Principle – economic model based on the price of a pizza slice in New York City
References
[edit]- ↑ Doyle, Terrence (January 30, 2018). "I Traveled to Naples to Trace the Roots of the Dollar Slice". Vice. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Helmore, Edward (December 25, 2021). "Slice of life: New York's famed $1 street pizza under threat from rising costs". The Guardian. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hong, Nicole (June 22, 2023). "The $1 Pizza Slice Becomes Inflation's Latest Victim". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Fernandez, Manny (March 15, 2010). "Where a Meal Can Cost a Fortune, 99¢ Pizza Catches On". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ↑ Flegenheimer, Matt (September 5, 2012). "$1 Pizza Slice Is Back After a Sidewalk Showdown Ends Two Parlors' Price War". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Swerdloff, Alex (March 14, 2016). "What the Price of a Slice of Pizza Can Tell You About New York". Vice. Archived from the original on January 24, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- 1 2 Latterner, Tim (June 29, 2018). "The Slow Death of NYC's Iconic $1 Pizza Slice". Vice. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ↑ Shea, Tom (March 21, 2023). "End of an Era: Original NYC 2 Bros. Kills $1 Pizza Slice". NBC New York. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ↑ Genovese, Peter (April 5, 2023). "The last of the $1 slices: Two pizzerias keep N.J.'s best bargain alive". NJ.com. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- 1 2 Smith, Christopher (September 11, 2019). "The Magical Staying Power Of The New York City Dollar Pizza Slice". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2025.