“Two slices of pepperoni to go, please.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve uttered that phrase at Leonardo’s Pizza by the Slice, 1245 W. University Ave. A Gainesville staple since 1973, Leonardo’s began offering two-for-one slices an hour before closing time about two and a half years ago.
I’m not sure when I found out about it, but once I did, my life was improved immeasurably. I was eating two heavenly smelling, cheese-dripping, pepperoni slices for $2.89, then for $3.15 (I could deal with the 26-cent raise).
I started going so often that certain employees knew my order.
For a time, it was a gem of a deal only select people were privy to, but soon enough, word began to spread.
There were times I would get to Leonardo’s, maybe five minutes past 9 p.m., when the line reached the door and curved to the left, around to the booths and along the window. I didn’t mind waiting.
Imagine my dismay when I returned this spring and heard those stinging words: “We don’t do two-for-one anymore.”
The restaurant abolished arguably one of the best deals in town on Jan. 1.
“We wanted to eliminate waste,” said Steve Solomon, co-owner of Leonardo’s. “We weren’t trying to create a two-for-one craze. People wait specifically for that time. You create a half-price people.”
I am not the only one whose every financial worry vanished with every scrumptious bite.
Oren Ehrlich, a UF senior who used to go once a week, said he’ll definitely consider the change when deciding to go now. “It’s good pizza, don’t get me wrong. But the special is what made it worth it.”
UF junior Jordan Krandall said he used to go to Leonardo’s with his roommates. A bargain hunter, Krandall said he hasn’t been back to the pizzeria since the special became unavailable.
“I think it’s reasonably priced,” he said. “It’s just the principle of ‘I used to get two for the price of one, and now I can’t.’”
But Solomon said he isn’t worried about losing business. He said with the two-for-one deal, he was pushing even.
As for the other neighboring pizza competitors — Amore, Italian Gator and Papa John’s on campus — Solomon said each place has its own clientele. He said traffic is somewhat dictated by UF events, such as athletic games and concerts.
Now, when Leonardo’s closes, any leftover pizza is taken to the St. Francis House in Gainesville, which is a homeless shelter and soup kitchen.
“I’m very happy if anything’s left to give it to St. Francis,” Solomon said. “We’re doing a greater good. We’re feeding someone who wouldn’t be eating otherwise.”
So, fellow Leonardo’s two-for-one aficionados, while it may be hard to swallow two full-priced slices — or more if you’re really hungry — try to realize the pizza still tastes just as good.
