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. 

Breaking: 2 Bros. Pizza unveils new sign, branding on St. Mark's Place

In today's top news story, workers replaced the 2 Bros. Pizza sign at 32 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

EVG 2 Bros. Correspondent Steven got (maybe) the first look at the new brandage for the dollarsliceria ...





Insta reaction: The shape of the logo looks a little coffin-ish. Anyone else?

One more look...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

[Updated] Paper plate: 2 Bros. will return tomorrow

EVG $1 pizzeria correspondent Steven noted today that the 2 Bros. Pizza on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was not open for business.

However, the paper plate on the door points out they will be back open tomorrow...



Well, there is some precedent for thinking that this location might be closed for good. The $1.50 2 Bros. a few storefronts away went under back in February... before reopening as Fasta ("Pasta Your Way") then a Belgian fries shop.

Updated 12/8 1:04 p.m.

Steven notes that a new paper plate says that 2 Bros. remains closed...



Updated 12/9

And they are back open, per Steven...

Report: Workers claim that 2 Bros. doesn't pay minimum wage, offer overtime

Employees of the 2. Bros. Pizza chainlet have filed a class-action suit, claiming that they worked 60- to 70-hour weeks for less than minimum wage and without overtime.

Per the Daily News, who first reported on the lawsuit:

"They built their dollar pizza empire on the backs of my clients and other workers by grossly underpaying them," said their lawyer, Adam Slater. "It’s just unfair."

Gabriel Bailon, who worked as a piemaker and cashier at the chain’s flagship pizzeria on St. Marks Place and saw 2 Bros. become a citywide staple, said he and other employees were talked into staying with phony promises about raises, but their bosses never came up with the dough.

An attorney representing the owners of 2 Bros., Eli and Oren Halali, as well as their father, Joshua, said they would prevail in court.

"2 Bros. pays its employees in compliance with city, state and federal law and categorically denies the claims made by the plaintiffs," the attorney told the Daily News.

Slater said that the suit represents 12 employees, with more coming forward, and that damages could exceed $10 million.

Officially down to 1 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place

Workers have stripped away the remaining evidence of the $1.50 2 Bros. Pizza at 36 St. Mark's Place.

The low-budget, low-taste pizzeria quietly closed at the end of January. The $1 2 Bros. a few storefronts away at No. 32 between Second Avenue and Third Avenue remains in business.

This marks the second of the three East Village 2 Bros. to close. The location on First Avenue near East 14th Street abruptly shut down last summer.

Meanwhile, this is the third business on the south side of this block to close in recent weeks … joining the Pinkberry and Hanjoo.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The $1.50 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place has apparently closed

The $1.50 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place has apparently closed

In other St. Mark's Place closure news on this block … we hear that the 2 Bros. Pizza (with the upscale $1.50 SUPREME slice!) has closed at 36 St. Mark's Place near Second Avenue…

The "pizzeria" has been dark of late during stated business hours. Meanwhile, an EVG tipster reports seeing one of the employees from this shop working at the $1 2 Bros. at 32 St. Mark's Place. The worker said that the $1.50 space was "no more."

If this location at No. 36 is officially closed, then it will mark the second of the three East Village 2 Bros. to close. The location on First Avenue near East 14th Street abruptly shut down last summer.

[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

[Updated] Something is happening at 2 Bros. Pizza

The $1 sliceria at 32 St. Mark's Place is currently closed. Bill the Libertarian Anarchist passes along word that workers are tearing up the floor preparing to close the shop … this according to one of the workers doing the floor tearing up.

The 2 Bros. at 36 St. Mark's Place (with the upscale $1.50 SUPREME slice!) is open a few storefronts to the east with all the $1 slice signage.

However, one worker at No. 36 said the shop at No. 32 will reopen later this week, though he initially tried to avoid the question…



So there you have it, kind of. Closed for good or reopening Thursday! To be continued…

Updated 5:31 p.m.

The $1 2 Bros. is back open today with a new floor… so much for our info!

[Updated] Crime scene at 2 Bros. Pizza on St. Mark's Place

The NYPD (one cruiser and a van) is on the scene at 2 Bros. Pizza on St. Mark's Place this morning (the 2 Bros. closer to Third Avenue)… we haven't heard anything official about what happened… (one reader thought that there was a break-in, but that is just speculation)…



Updated: We heard that someone kicked in the bottom part of the door and walked off with the cash register… Again, this hasn't been confirmed… just the block gossip.

Thanks to EVG reader Ryan for the photos

First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

@evgrieve $1 #Pizza wars on First Ave. Vinny Vincenz holding the lead with bigger signage and draft beer. twitter.com/tenementcity/s…

— Tenement City (@tenementcity) March 14, 2013

Indeed. Go Vinny's!: 2 slices AND a draft beer for $5.

Previously.


[Dave on 7th]

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

Speaking of pizza... The third East Village 2 Bros. Pizza location opened on First Avenue near East 14th Street on Feb. 15 ... Flashback!



The sign battle has escalated here as this photo by Dave on 7th shows...



The 10-year-old Vinny Vincenz certainly has the advantage, serving a variety of homemade items (eggplant parmesan hero, woot!).

Per Eater's Greg Morabito: "The regular $2.50 slice is easily three or four times better than one of those crummy pieces of wet cardboard served at 2 Bros., or at any of the other dollar slice joints in the area."

2 Bros. Pizza now open on First Avenue

[Photos via AC]

The 2 Bros. Pizza location on First Avenue near East 14th Street opened today... and let the $1 pizza wars begin...



Eater's Greg Morabito put it this way the other day: "But really, there should be no competition here: Vinny Vincenz serves one of Downtown Manhattan's best utilitarian slices. The regular $2.50 slice is easily three or four times better than one of those crummy pieces of wet cardboard served at 2 Bros., or at any of the other dollar slice joints in the area."

Agree?

Previously.

Your East Village pizza update

New signs are up in the windows of the long-time coming Apizza on First Avenue at East Second Street... noting that this California-based healthy pizza place is "coming soon." BoweryBoogie first noted this impending arrival back on Dec. 23, 2010.

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Speaking of healthy pizza... the transformation of the former Naked Pizza on East 14th Street continues... this will be the second NYC location for good old-fashioned Joe's Pizza ...

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...and signage arrived for the new 2 Bros. Pizza on First Avenue near East 14th Street...

A look at the incoming 2 Bros. Pizza on First Avenue

As you may recall, a 2 Bros. Pizza is opening at the short-lived BaoBQ space (and Select Burger!) on First Avenue near East 14th Street... EVG reader Joe got a look inside...

Do you think all this $1 (or .99-cent pizza) around here (Joey Pepperoni, Papa John's, 7-Eleven, et al) can make it...? All of which is making local favorite Vinny Vincenz reduce its prices...

The first 2 Bros. opened on St. Mark's Place in 2008.

Rumors: 2 Bros. Pizza is opening another East Village location

BaoBQ closed here on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street in August. The for rent signs are down... and someone put up black trashbags on the windows...

We've from several different tipsters now that a 2 Bros. Pizza will take over this space... there hasn't been any official confirmation on this from 2 Bros., who continue to expand in the city... If this is true, then this could be one more reason why Vinny Vincenz Pizza close by on First Avenue is now selling a $1 slice, as noted yesterday.

Of course, there's already a lot of cheap pizza right around here, from Papa John's and Joey Pepperoni across the street to the other Joey Pepperoni's and 7-Eleven around the way on East 14th Street...

The first 2 Bros. opened on St. Mark's Place in 2008.

The 2 Bros. 'supreme slice' location still closed on St. Mark's Place

Speaking of $1 and $1.50 pizza... one of the 2 Bros. locations on St. Mark's Place remains closed after the fire in the apartment building above in late September ...

Here's a look at the place yesterday (this is the one that sells the $1.50 "supreme slice" that's closer to Second Avenue) ...

We haven't heard anything about a reopening date. Have you? Meanwhile, the door continues to be Wacky Wok'd...

Previously.

Wall Street Journal investigates St. Mark's Place Supreme Slice 'experiment;' wither $1 pizza?

The Wall Street Journal today looks at the new $1.50 SUPREME Slice that 2 Bros. Plus is selling at 36 St. Mark's Place ... a few storefronts away from where they sell the $1 slice...

To the article!

According to Eli Halali, who owns the 2 Bros. Pizza chain with his brother, the 50% price hike is an experiment to gauge customer reaction to a larger and higher-quality slice.

And!

If successful, Mr. Halali said the chain would consider adding the Supreme Slice at some of its other locations, in addition to keeping the $1 slice. He stressed that the $1 slice was in no way in jeopardy.

And!

The Supreme Slice is cut from a 22-inch pie, versus the normal 18 inches. The sauce is different, made with plum Italian tomatoes; and the baking process is longer and more involved, said Mr. Halali.

And how does that Supreme Slice taste compared with the non-supreme slice? Said one customer, No difference. "I don't expect great taste for $1 and I don't expect better taste for $1.50."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Slice shockers: 2 Bros. blows up the $1 pizza model