The Time Has Come: You Can No Longer Find A $1 Slice Of Pizza In New York

There are a lot of things you think of when you think about New York. Some of it's good, some of it's bad, and some of it may be based on stuff you've only seen in movies. But no matter what you think of when it comes to New York, there's always one food that comes up again and again: pizza. More specifically, New York-style pizza.

A New York-style pizza, at its most basic definition, is a thin triangular slice of pizza that includes a chewy, foldable crust that's been fired in a coal or wood-fired oven and topped with a heavily-seasoned tomato sauce and grated low-moisture mozzarella. While other pizzas may be dense and require a knife and fork to eat, the New York-style pizza is meant to be folded up and eaten with one hand, making it a great portable dinner whether you're strutting down Times Square or on the phone on Wall Street.

One of the most appealing characteristics of the New York-style pizza is that it's famously cheap. One pizza parlor, known as 2 Bros. Pizza, has even made a name for itself selling slices of the classic New York street food for only $1. While some may argue that the "best" New York style pizza is more expensive, a slice of pizza for one dollar certainly has an appeal all its own.

It would seem, however, that recent economic shifts have struck a blow to the cheap pizza industry in the Big Apple. 

Amid talks of economic distress, it's clear that many Americans are starting to feel the impact of the last few years. Whether it's the talks of banks and bailouts or the consequences of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have noticed prices are skyrocketing with each passing day. For New Yorkers, the economic rumblings have managed to breach even the smallest facets of their lives, starting with the end of the $1 pizza slice.

According to a report from The New York Post, 2 Bros. Pizza, having long held onto the tradition of its famously cheap pizza, has been forced to raise its prices by 50 cents, thus making the pizza $2 after sales tax.  While co-owner Eli Halali explained to The Post that they had tried for as long as possible to keep the price of the pizza low without having to make any changes, the rise in inflation meant that it was no longer possible to "break even."

Other New York chains that are known for their cheap pizzas have also been forced to either raise their prices or try to cut down on costs. One example of a cost-cutting method had several pizza shops trying to reduce ingredients, which lead to a pizza that was still cheap but lower in quality. 

Customers have reportedly been understanding about the rise in cost, but still long for the $1 pizza to return.