THE ART OF PIZZA ON STATE STREET by Rivka Benjamin
Steven Riggs has been a vendor with StreetWise for over 10 years now. As a big fan of cheese ‘n’ sausage pizza, Steven often eats at the ‘Art of Pizza’ pizza shop. It's near his location on State Street. Steven first thought when trying their pizza was “Oh My G-d”. He was shocked at how tasty the pizza was, especially for the price. During all of his visits he has tried the cheese slice, pepperoni slice, and of course, the cheese 'n' sausage slice. Although there is more variety on their menu, Steven likes to stick to the pizza when stopping in for lunch. His mom, however, tried the sub sandwich when they went together. She really liked it, and even saved the leftovers for dinner.
Steven Riggs
What really impressed him was the kindness of the people there, the cashier and the owners. Steven always notices Danny and the other owners offer ice water to people who are homeless on hot days, and sometimes a slice of pizza. THE ART OF PIZZA ON STATE STREET Steven recalls one very hot and humid summer day recently. He was working really hard, sellLocation: ing as many magazines as he could at his loca727 S. State St. tion. He stopped into the pizza store to catch his breath since he was feeling faint. Danny, Price Range: whom Steven calls "one of the nicest guys," Under $10 / per person asked if he was okay and offered some water. “Ice water and a slice of pizza would be nice,” Hours: Steven responded. Danny didn’t flinch, and Sunday - Thursday brought him what he asked for, like a regular 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. customer. He was warm, inviting, and friendly. Steven said he felt quite humbled in that moFriday & Saturday ment, and began to tear up. 11 a.m. - midnight In general, he said the atmosphere is extremely clean, friendly and inviting. There are always conversations going on between multiple tables, no matter how far they are from each other. The customers speak about current events, how tasty the pizza is, and Steven often speaks about StreetWise. Sometimes, people will buy magazines form him on the spot when they hear about it (although that isn’t his goal). “Overall, it was GREAT!! I would highly recommend this place for the food, people, and atmosphere. If you’re ever in Chicago, stop by. Trust me, it’ll be a memorable experience. If you’re out of town, you will be back for this!” The Art of Pizza on State Street: Steven Riggs with employee; interior; a slice of stuffed crust.
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