Sometimes small things can make the biggest changes. And sometimes those small things are $1 slices of pizza. Rosa’s Fresh Pizza, which just opened a new location on 40th and Market Street, has a mission that surpasses just delicious pizza: the store helps serve the housing–insecure and food–insecure community in Philadelphia. This new opening is in addition to their flagship location on 11th Street.
Owner Mason Wartman is a Philadelphia native who left his Wall Street job to pursue his dream of opening up a pizza shop. Rosa’s has a simple menu—it features mostly pizzas by the slice, full pizzas, and fresh salads. He modeled the shop off of the $1 pizza joints he saw living in New York, but couldn’t find in Philly. Soon, homeless people from the area started coming into the shop because they could actually afford the food. This inspired a sort of “pay–it–forward” idea.
When you purchase your slice, you’re asked if you’d like to pay it forward and cover a slice for a person in need. Then, instead of pizza, your money yields a Post–it note on which you can write a message, draw a picture, or just leave a smiley face. When someone in need comes in to the shop, they exchange one of the Post–it notes for a slice. The message board of notes has become a place of encouragement for homeless people, both in terms of nutrition and morale. While one slice doesn’t seem like a big deal, for some, it can be their only source of sustenance for the day. And Rosa’s gives away approximately 160 pieces of pizza per day at each location.
Mason realizes that his hometown has an epidemic that can seems insurmountable—Philadelphia is the US city with the highest deep poverty rate. But he has seen firsthand how small acts can truly make a difference in the community. Oftentimes, the most rewarding part of his job is watching homeless people interact with paying customers just as people, not realizing their differences.
In future months, Rosa’s plans on raising their prices slightly to $1.25 a slice. They also plan on serving homeless customers during a specific hour of the day. Mason’s biggest goal for the shop is simply getting the word out, and he's appeared on shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Good Morning America. He hopes that he will be able to serve as many people as possible in the city he calls home, and continue expanding to other areas that need help.
Address: 16 S. 40th Street
Hours: 11 am to 7 pm, closed Sundays
