[title]
The death of the dollar slice has been a long time coming, but the latest announcement from the iconic cheap slice institution 2 Bros. Pizza hammered another nail into the coffin.
This week, the pizza chain told The New York Post that it would increase prices per plain slice from $1 to $1.50 thanks to inflation.
RECOMMENDED: The 31 best pizza places in NYC
It's worth noting that 2 Bros. began increasing prices back in the fall, as we reported in November, though some signs still advertised the $1 slice.
This time, though, it's officially official, with signage showing the updated prices. Per The Post, the East Village location on St. Mark's Place had been the chain's last dollar slice standing in Manhattan; a shop in the Bronx also increased to $1.50.
"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," co-owner Eli Halali told The Post. "We were no longer able to break even."
Cheese is the main culprit in the inflation battle, and that means you'll have to pony up some more cheddar for a slice.
We were no longer able to break even.
2 Bros. isn't the only pizza shop feeling the pinch. In Staten Island at Mona Lisa Pizzeria, the shop's owner Lenny Giordano cited a labor shortage and the cost of inflation as the root of price increases.
"Due to the food cost increase, we are unfortunately forced to increase our prices to be able to keep our business open and continue to use top quality products," he wrote in a Facebook post this fall. "I can list about 200 items that I am buying for my store every week and every one of them went up from 50% to 200%."
Even though the Staten Island shop never sold dollar slices, he still had to increase the price per slice from $2 to $3, Giordano told Time Out last fall.
For many, the Dollar Slice is as much a New York institution as Broadway or Central Park. This cultural landmark isn't totally gone. You'll still see $1 slice joints across the city, even though they may be fewer these days.