Jul 31, 2009 7:00 pm US/Eastern
NYC Pizzeria's $5 Slices More Popular Than Ever
Brooklyn's Di Fara Pizza Thriving After 45 Years Despite Recession
by Josh Landis, CBS 2 HD
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
New Yorkers are passionate about their pizza, but during a recession, one would think a $5 slice of pizza would be a lot to swallow.
But a legendary pizza man has discovered that if you bake it, they will come.
"The best that I've had anywhere, period," one customer said.
You don't have to take his word for it - just look at the lines. In a city where restaurants open and close every day, Di Fara has been going strong for 45 years.
CLIP 11 - DOMENICO DEMARCO, DI FARA FOUNDER
"I guess it's good pizza," Di Fara founder Domenico DeMarco said, laughing.
72 year-old DeMarco can't make his pizza fast enough or, apparently, charge enough. Somewho, even after raising the cost of a slice to $5, demand still increased.
"They're coming from all over the world," Di Fara employee Margaret Mieles said. "They're showing me their passport, they're showing me their tickets."
What can be expected from a $5 slice of pizza?
"Well, I just imagine the taste will be sublime, I guess," customer Barun Jain said.
Di Fara fans say it's all about the ingredients. Fresh buffalo mozzarella is imported from one place in Italy, as are Italian tomatoes that can't grow anywhere else. Basil is brought in from Israel.
"All the flavors work really, really well together," Jain said. "Just the right amount of saltiness, the tomatoes are just right, the basil is wonderful.
"The crust is just right on crispness, the bottom is charred really well – it's just very, very good."
DeMarco's secret ingredient might just be old-fashioned enthusiasm.
"I love what I do," he said. "I think everybody should like what they do."
It's a perfect fit: DeMarco loves making pizza, and his customers love eating it.
Mayor Bloomberg even commented, saying that he's not sure whether people are trading up from cheaper slices, or trading down from more expensive entrees. But he says that "if you've ever had a really great slice of pizza, you know there are worse deals out there."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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