Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch?

I travel a lot for work, usually to the same handful of places in the middle of nowhere Iowa. About two months ago I stopped into a local pizza place out here at the recommendation of a customer of mine. She had done some side work for a banquet hall the owner ran, and said the pizza was pretty exceptional and he was a cool guy. The pizza place is takeout/delivery, with only a small counter that you can sit at to wait for your pizza and watch it be made. The place doesn't sell alcohol, but they encourage you to bring a couple beers and hang out with them while you wait. Sometimes people will also order appetizers or even eat their pizza at the counter too, though there are only about 6-7 stools and probably 90%+ of the business is takeout/delivery.

Last time a couple of us went down there, brought some beer, ate some apps and our pizza, and then just kind of hung out talking to the owner and sharing a few beers with him. Next thing I know, he's getting some wine from his personal stash in the back and sharing with us and telling us all about Sicily (born and raised there, still owns property there). We end up staying an hour past close, after all the other workers had cleaned up the place and left, just hanging out and sharing wine. Before I left he even told me that if I ever wanted to visit Sicily, to let him know, that he could get me a condo to stay in for free. I took it as a wine-fueled offer by a hospitable guy, but thought it was nice nonetheless.

So last night I was in town and I decided to pick up a six-pack and drop in there to pick up a pizza to go. Though I had only been there once, and it had been at least two months ago, he immediately recognized me and started talking about some of the same things we had talked about the last time I was there. I offered him some beer and we chatted while he worked behind the counter. Pretty soon he's having the cook bring me appetizers to try and a couple other people from town drop in and we are all sitting there talking. My pizza comes and I decide to eat it there and we are just hanging out. I finally decide to leave and ask for the bill. He tells me it is on the house (it was a medium pizza, plus he had already comped me appetizers). I try to insist and he won't take anything for it. So I thank him and leave him a $10 tip.

And now that I've typed all that out, I'm not sure what my point is, other than I got a free pizza last night and I think that's pretty cool!

Small town business owners ftw. I'll obviously be back.

 

I was afraid that if I posted where it was at he'd have 37 TFPers knocking on the door tomorrow saying they heard he gives away free pizzas.

http://www.thesicilianpizza.com/

 

Haha! He's married with six kids, and though I know that doesn't necessarily prove anything, I'm pretty sure that's not what's going on.

 

Oh, and I forgot. I had the leftovers for breakfast. Cold pizza breakfast....mmm.