23 Cent Pizzas?

Ahh, life in Metropolis! Last Thursday we planned on having pizza for dinner as did all of Northeast Ohio. For 23 cents! If you haven't heard this story yet you are in for a treat and here is a little run down of what happened.

Papa John's made some t shirts that were given out at a Wizard's game with #23 (Lebron James' number), and CRYBABY was written where Lebron's name should have been. Well Cavs fans when nuts and called for a boycott of the popular pizza chain. Papa Johns Corporate had not approved the t shirts but to make amends decided to choose a day and offer 23 cent pizzas (Large one topping). For more, read this article..

I don't think Papa John's really knew what they were getting into. The local newspapers wrote about it for days before, and the anchors from most of the news stations had already broadcast what their personal topping would be. Everywhere I went I heard people talking about how they were planning on getting two or three with the help of family members. Schools were planning pizza parties (no clue how they thought that would work) I don't think that Papa John's could have served everyone who intended to be served if they had offered the deal for a week.

The doors opened at 10:30 a.m. and the lines started hours earlier. When I watched the new that day this is what I saw. Make sure to check out the last link to the story by Michael O'Mara. Some people think that this could only happen in Cleveland with our poverty level where it is but human nature is such that I think it would be a repeat in any location big or small.

Thousands of people lined up throughout the day and waited sometimes over 5 hours for pizzas. A couple locations went out and gave coupons for a free pizza when they knew they were going to run out but most franchises just shut the doors. Fights broke out, people were arrested and chaos ruled at times just for a bubbly, little pizza pie. 23 cents is a good deal but in my opinion not worth trading a day of my life for.

Way to go Papa John's!

Needless to say we just ate leftovers from a lunch I hosted that day and were all the better for it :-)