Louie and Ernie’s offers at-home options
Pizzeria lets patrons buy frozen pizzas to heat up and enjoy at home; orders come fl ooding in
BY ALEX MITCHELL
If 2020 has a silver lining,
it’s that the iconic Louie
and Ernie’s of Throggs
Neck is now selling frozen
pizzas to go.
These 12-inch pies, which
are cooked three quarters
through before they are frozen,
come in both regular for
$10, pepperoni for $12, and
can be customized to the delight
of customers who journey
from beyond the Bronx to
visit the famed pizzeria.
It’s because of such an
extensive pizza fan-base
that owner John Tiso decided
to start selling the frozen
pizzas a week ago for
in-store pickup.
He quickly learned that
the Louie and Ernie’s faithful
reaches as south as Florida
and west as Nevada as
calls for frozen pies came in
from both states in recent
days among about 45 more
practical take-out orders.
Given the high, out-ofstate
demand for the pies,
Louie and Ernie’s is stretching
out some potential shipping
options for far away customers
— though
that remains
in the oven at
this time.
The concept
for selling these
frozen pizzas is
one that’s about a
decade old and began
when Tiso’s
daughter, Victoria,
was away
at college.
He would
send pizzas
for her to bring onto campus
and naturally it was a
smashing success.
So around that time, Louie
and Ernie’s fi rst began experimenting
with selling frozen
pizzas but ultimately kept
the concept on ice in more recent
years — that was, until a
pandemic hit.
As far as the commutation
aspect goes, Tiso specifi cally
pointed out that his pizzas
travel very well, especially to
and on the beach.
To order what will
likely be your favorite
work-from-home lunch,
call 718-829-6230.
BRONX TIMES R 2 EPORTER, SEPT. 18-24, 2020 BTR
(above) A close up
shot of Louie and
Ernie’s cheese pizza.
(right) Owner John
Tiso
Photo by Alex Mitchell