Cold out of the refrigerator, hot from the delivery box and easily accessible around campus – pizza is a major food group for many students. The many campus-area pizzerias provide ample opportunity for students to enjoy fresh pizza a mere block from class.
Duck paraphernalia, bright yellow and green exterior walls and figurines of football players decorate Track Town Pizza. Located at 1809 Franklin Blvd., the parlor serves many sports fans. Friday nights before football games patrons can enter a raffle between 6p.m. and 8 p.m. to win two tickets on the 50-yard line the next day. Every Tuesday evening is pint night with domestic beers at $1.25 per pint and $2.50 for a micro brew.
Track Town makes its dough every morning and uses fresh produce toppings.
“All the ingredients are fresh,” Anna Harris, a University student and Track Town employee, said.
“It feels good to serve people a quality product.”
Track Town also provides alternatives for diners looking for a healthier pizza. The restaurant offers wheat dough and a choice of fat free, rice or regular cheese at the same prize. It also offers regular tomato sauce as well as pesto, garlic ranch or red pepper sauces at the same price. The salad bar is open all day.
Students can show a University student ID card for a $5.95 pizza and salad bar lunch buffet on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sy’s New York Pizza, at 1211 Alder St., offers pizza by the slice and whole pizzas. In the small shop’s compact dining area, bright red stools surround a counter, offering customers a place to enjoy their meals if they choose not to take their slice on the run. Sy’s is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to midnight.
Sy’s customers are often made up of university students, Sacred Heart Medical Center employees and high school students on their lunch breaks.
“Not annoyingly nice,” said Brian Crabaugh, a Sy’s employee, said as to what differs from their services compared to other pizza vendors.
“Our surly attitude is what is New York Pizza,” said Cerry Mann, also a Sy’s employee.
Sy’s offers Neapolitan regular crusts and deep-dish Sicilian pizza. They also serve garlic knots.
Crabaugh said that usually one friend will discover Sy’s and then bring one or two more friends the next visit.
“Keeping it simple keeps them coming back,” said Crabaugh.
Just a block away, Pegasus Smoke House Pizza has an entirely different attitude. Located at 790 E. 14th Ave., Pegasus sports a large dinning room with booths and tables as well as a patio for warm weather dinning. Inside an exotic fish aquarium greets visitors as they wait in line to be seated or place their order. Lori and Paul Reader have owned the restaurant for the last 16 years.
Lori Reader said that their customer base is mostly made up of students and families in the community.
Tuesday through Thursday a $4.95 lunch special of a mini two-topping pizza is offered. Customers can buy slices from opening until 5 p.m. when the dinner rush starts.
Happy Hour is from 4p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Pegasus offers a discount on Micro pints for $2.75 and Domestic pints for $1.75. There is also a discount on chicken wings.
Underneath the pizza parlor is a bar called Fathoms. Monday through Thursday offer specials including free pool on Monday. Tuesdays the bar serves a two-topping mini pizza with a domestic pint for $5 or a micro brew for $6. Wednesday night special is karaoke night while Thursday provides a live disk jockey. Late at night the bartender will signal the kitchen to bring down a few free pizzas for Fathoms guests to enjoy. This occurs once a night at random times.
The restaurant’s dough and sauce are made fresh daily.
“We take our pizza seriously,” said Reader.
Sometimes students do not want to leave the comfort of their dorm room or apartment and can instead order a pizza. Blackjack Pizza, at 339 E. 11th Ave., provides free delivery for purchases over $6. However, the company asks the customer to tip the delivery person. Delivery is available from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Coupons for other pizza vendors including Pizza Hut and Mezza Luna Pizzeria can be found online at www.thesurvivalkit.com.