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Most birthday parties require you to bring something. But, surprisingly, for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s 35th, a little loose change should do.
East Village Pizza is celebrating the mayor’s birthday today October 18, with 35-cent slices from 1pm to 3pm. The shop at 145 First Avenue, on the corner of East 9th Street, is offering the deal as part of its National Pizza Month celebrations, giving New Yorkers a two-hour chance to buy lunch with coins dug out of your tote bag. With a regular cheese slice costing $4.99, that’s a considerable discount. Set a reminder, though: the birthday pricing ends at 3pm.
The birthday special is one of several October promotions tied to New York occasions. East Village Pizza kicked things off with dollar slices on October 1, and two more dates remain after this weekend: on Tuesday, October 20, the shop will serve $1 slices from 2 to 3 pm in honor of Knicks opening night. Then, on Thursday, October 29, customers in costume can get a $1 slice during the same hour. (A quite practical use for the Halloween outfit you spent far too much money assembling.)
The pizzeria has occupied its First Avenue corner since 1997 and owner Frank Kabatas has a history with the place that predates his name on the business. As he tells it, he arrived in New York from Turkey in January 1997 and found work at East Village Pizza the following day, handling deliveries, dishes and whatever else needed doing. He was fired six months later, learned the pizza business elsewhere and eventually returned in 2003 to buy the shop with his brother and a business partner.
Today, the menu includes everything from classic New York slices to Sicilian squares, heart-shaped pies and a double-stacked pizza made from two full pies baked together. Kabatas says his dough proofs for 72 hours and he still uses the Baker’s Pride gas oven he bought nearly 25 years ago.
Today, head to First Avenue between 1pm and 3pm, have your change ready and let somebody else’s birthday pick up most of the tab.