Who Wants Pizza? A Salute to Joe’s.

Now that I have your attention, what I have to say isn’t just about pizza. It’s about what we already know: Greenwich Village is a really special place. Why would you ever want to leave?

Imagine if you had a successful business in New York City – any neighborhood in New York City – and you decided to expand. Some would think it’s a good idea to open a second location in a geographically different neighborhood. But one successful Greenwich Village business decided to expand without straying far from their roots.

I’m talking about Joe’s Pizza. Many of you know Joe’s Pizza (located in Phase I of the South Village Historic District) on Carmine Street between 6^th Avenue and Bleecker Street. The original location, on the corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets, and the current location, at 7 Carmine, have served the neighborhood well since 1976. That’s a long time for any business to survive, but it’s especially remarkable given the fickle nature of the food and restaurant business in New York. You can only stay in business if you are providing people with a quality product that keeps them coming back for more. You can survive the Atkins Diet craze and the no-carbs craze if you are at the top of your game.

Joe’s Pizza is the classic American immigrant success story. A young man comes to New York from Italy, works hard, and has a successful business that stays in the family for three generations. You can read more about Joe and his history here.

I spoke to Joe’s grandson Sal, who told me that when a new second location was being considered, there was no doubt that they were only looking for another Greenwich Village location. Not Upper East Side, not Upper West Side, not Brooklyn. “Greenwich Village people know quality,” Sal explained. And that goes for residents and visitors alike. Todd Lefkovic, founder of 2012 Village Award winner Foods of New York Tours, know this too. That’s why Joe’s Pizza is one of the stops on his food tour.

You can stop in and see Sal at the new Joe’s Pizza location at 150 East 14^th Street, near 3^rd Avenue.