One of the Last Remaining $1 Pizza Spots in NYC Was Forced to Raise Its Prices

Inflation strikes again.

New York City’s 2 Bros. Pizza has long lived under the slogan “Always Fresh, Always $1.” Though the “fresh” half is still true, it’s sadly been forced to raise the price on its last remaining $1 location.

According to 2 Bros. co-owner Eli Halali, the increasing cost of cheese contributed to the price change, as the crucial topping accounts for about 40% of what the chain spends on its ingredients. “Over the past few years, we had done everything in our power to keep the cheese slices at $1 while refusing to compromise on our quality,” he told the New York Post. “We were no longer able to break even.”

The East Village-focused website EV Grieve originally reported the price change, noting that 2 Bros. had swapped its “$1” signs for “$1.50” versions at its St. Mark’s Place location. It previously implemented the price change at some of its other pizzerias scattered throughout the city. (The East Village spot is also currently advertising a $3.99 deal that gets you two slices and a can of soda — which honestly doesn’t sound that bad.)

Related:NYC's $1 Pizza Is No Longer a Dollar

In the fall of 2021, a number of New York's pizzerias that had offered 99 cent or $1.00 slices started raising their prices — including 2 Bros. Chelsea outpost. "Inflation is affecting every single ingredient, every single item we use," co-founder Oren Halali, told the New York Post at the time. "Flour, cheese, tomatoes, gloves, paper goods, paper plates, napkins. Everything. Labor is definitely up, as well."

By April 2022, the average cost of a slice of pizza in New York City was more expensive than a single subway ride. For over 40 years, an unofficial metric known as "the pizza principle" had tracked the cost of both items, and getting a slice of cheese pizza had always been less than jumping on a train. That changed last spring, when the average piece of "plain" — cheese only — pizza was around $3.14, while the cost of one subway fare was (and still is) $2.75.

Little Caesars also raised eyebrows last year when it raised the price of its Hot-N-Ready Classic Pepperoni pies for the first time ever. Those classic pizzas had been priced at $5 since their launch in 1997; that has since jumped to at least $5.55.

There is still at least one place in New York where you can get a slice for a buck: on Thursday, EV Grieve reported that 99 Cent Pizza on E. 14th Street had re-hung its "99 [cents]" signage after previously increasing its price to $1.50. New Yorkers, you'd better take them up on that offer while it lasts. 

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