Now $1.50, 99¢ Fresh Pizza enters a new era

Top photo by Steven

On the ever-shifting budget pizza front, new signage arrived Sunday at 71 Second Ave., marking the change from 99¢ Fresh Pizza to $1.50 Fresh Pizza here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street...

As far as we can recall, this is the first price increase for the sliceria since its debut 10 years ago. (Bring back Cool Gear!)

And 99¢ Fresh Pizza isn't the only local slice shop to up the price by 51 cents. 99¢ Pizza debuted mid-March 2023 at 418 E. 14th St., just east of First Avenue. By June, their budget slice was going for $1.50. 

However, it took ownership until this past October to make the change signage official. (Thanks to EVG reader Tom for this shot from the fall...)

2+ months after opening, 99¢ Pizza raises price of $1 slice to $1.50

99¢ Pizza debuted in mid-March at 418 E. 14th St. just east of First Avenue. As noted then, despite the name of the establishment, a cheese slice initially cost a penny more — $1. 

The cost of doing $1-pizza business may have caught up with them: EVG reader Tom notes that the $1 slice is now $1.50.

Subsequently, Combo #1 — two plain slices and a can of soda OR bottle or water increased from $2.99 to $3.99. Prices for Combo #2 and Combo #3 (hot dogs!) remain unchanged.

We'll see how the 99¢ Pizza shop at 246 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue responds! They lowered the price of a slice from $1.50 to 99 cents as the cheap slice war heated up.

The cheese slice is $1 at the just-opened 99¢ Pizza

Photos by EVG reader Tom 

99¢ Pizza debuted last week at 418 E. 14th St. just east of First Avenue. (First reported here.) 

Despite the name of the establishment, a cheese slice will cost a penny more — $1. And if you want to get fancy and add, say, pepperoni, then the price goes up to $2.50. 

Here's a look at some of their combo specials...

EVG reader Edmund John Dunn tried two slices: "Not bad, IMO, better than the average for a 99-cent [or a $1!] slice."

The opening comes as the 99¢ Pizza shop at 246 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue lowered the price of a slice from $1.50 to 99 cents as the cheap slice war heats up.

The $1 cheese slice at 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place is now $1.50

Early $1 slice joint Two Bros. Pizza has bumped the price to $1.50 at 32 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, its first NYC outpost.

The new signage went up on Friday, per EVG reader Tom. 

Toward the end of 2021, with prices surging on everything from flour to paper plates, many 99-cent/dollar slicerias citywide started increasing the cost by 50 cents ... 2 Bros. went to $1.50 at the Chelsea outpost, as the Post reported. Per the Times, 2 Bros. was still charging $1 at six of its nine locations.

Now, on St. Mark's, you can get two cheese slices and a can of soda for $3.99, up a buck from before. 

While most budget EV slice shops are charging $1.50 now, there is an outlier with the pending arrival of a new 99-cent joint on 14th Street.

For a time, 2 Bros. had two slice outposts on the block. The location with the upscale $1.50 SUPREME slice closed at 36 St. Mark's Place in 2015. 

Your 99-cent pizza update on Avenue A

As a reminder (way back to March 11), a 99-cent pizza slice emporium is in the works for 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

The space is shaping up, as these photos via EVG 99-cent pizza slice emporium correspondent Steven show...



This must be a successful business model: This will be the third 99-cent pizza shop on Avenue A between Houston and Ninth Street, joining Alphabet 99-Cent Fresh Pizza and 99¢ Pizza. (There's also FDR 99¢ Slice Pizza just off of A on Second Street.)

[Updated] Two new quick-service options for Houston and Allen: pizza and gyros

Grand opening signage is up at Empire Gyro on the southeast corner of Allen and Houston ... the quick-serve, 24/7 spot makes its debut on Monday. They'll be serving a variety of gyros and shawarma plates ... as well as burgers, salads and soups.

Meanwhile, a few storefronts away on East Houston ... the doors were open at the under-renovation storefront next to the Army-Navy store...



... the space will be a cheap-slice pizzeria...



Updated 2/15

The 99-cent pizza place opened yesterday...

Joey Pepperoni looking closed on 1st Avenue

The Joey Pepperoni $1 pizza outpost on First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street appears to be closed for good. There's a space for rent sign above the $1 on the marquee... the phone number is also out of service.

This location opened in August 2012, and lasted nearly four years longer than some people anticipated. (The storefront was on the market back in the fall of 2014.)

If this is a permanent closure, then it appears that the Great $1 Pizza War of First Avenue is officially over. Many $1s were lost during this challenging time in which we witnessed multiple sidewalk sandwich boards … the introduction of $1 drafts… and the legendary dancing pizza menu woman.

With JP's closure, along with the July 2014 departure of the 2 Bros. Pizza next door, Vinny Vincenz can have the block back again. (There's still nearby cheap slice competition with Papa John's a block away.)

The Joey Pepperoni closed on 14th Street on IHOP Way in February 2014.

H/T Michael Ivan!

Previously on EV Grieve:
First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

Latest weapon in the First Avenue $1 slice wars: Dancing Pizza Menu Woman

[Updated] Reader report: The 2 Bros. Pizza on 1st Avenue has apparently closed

Noted

New street art spotted this morning on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue…

[Updated] Reader report: The 2 Bros. Pizza on 1st Avenue has apparently closed

EVG reader Michael Hirsch spotted workers hauling out the ovens from the dismantled $1 pizzeria between East 13th Street and East 14th Street.

There isn't an official word of a closure just yet.

This 2 Bros. branch opened in February 2013, much to the dismay of next-door neighbor Vinny Vincenz, who has been here for 11 years now. In respond to 2 Bros.'s arrival, Vinny's started offering $1 slices.

For now, it looks as if Vinny's has won this battle…

Updated 7-20

One reader said that a worker on the scene said they were merely remodeling the space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

Latest weapon in the First Avenue $1 slice wars: Dancing Pizza Menu Woman

Oh and another $1 (99 cent) pizza choice for the East Village

This one just opened at 71 Second Ave. near East Fourth Street.

An aside, kinda: Any idea why the fresh is so small on the sign?

The space was previously home to the Cool Gear shop.

And then there was one Joey Pepperoni's (within a few blocks of each other)

The Joey Pepperoni's location on IHOP Way East 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue has apparently closed, Eater first noted yesterday.

This JPP popped up quickly back in November 2012, turning over an AT&T Store in about two hours.

Meanwhile, the business next door made sure to capitalize on the new-found cheap-pizza void on this side of the street…



JPP fans can still visit the Joey Pepperoni's on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street, a location that was alive and well last night along with the other nearby $1 pizza options.

JPP on East 14th Street likely won't be the last $1 pizza casualty. We don't want to speculate on who might be next, but you can!

Previously on EV Grieve:
First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

Latest weapon in the First Avenue $1 slice wars: Dancing Pizza Menu Woman

Important questions of our time

When did Joey Pepperoni on First Avenue start serving breakfast? And tacos? And wings? (We hadn't noticed!)

Also, has anyone tried any of the non-$1 pizza items?

Anyway. Just the latest (or not) development in the grim First Avenue $1 pizza wars.

Previously on EV Grieve:
First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

Latest weapon in the First Avenue $1 slice wars: Dancing Pizza Menu Woman