You’ve seen the stacks of empty Broadway Joe’s boxes around the school; maybe you bought a slice at a bake sale for an absurd price or munched on some during an after-school event. But who are the people behind the pizza? We interviewed Lou Porco, an owner of Broadway Joe’s located on 5985 Broadway.

Joe Porco, who the restaurant is named after, bought the beloved Broadway Joes in 1969. It is currently run by Joe’s sons, Lou and Rob, who have worked at Broadway Joes for over 40 years, Lou said. He works Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays he works double, he said. “The busiest hours are the school day. We get calls daily for different clubs, whether it’s theater, Saturday Morning Tutoring Program, or Summer on the Hill.”

While the hill schools are large customers for Broadway Joes, Manhattan College students and local customers are also frequent fliers, Lou said. His favorite part of the job is seeing customers and handling daily school orders, he said. Their best-selling dish is (not surprisingly) their pizza and garlic knots, Lou said. However, he also recommends trying the mozzarella sticks or the buffalo chicken pizza, which sells for five dollars a slice. 

Mannikin orders Broadway Joe’s for their club meetings, Emily Weidman (11) said. “I like their mozzarella sticks, marinara pizza, and pastas. We like to try new things.” Broadway Joe’s pizza is also one of the most popular options at the Cancer Awareness Club’s bake sales. “We ordered about five pizzas per period and needed more.”

Molly Goldsmith’s (11) first encounter with Broadway Joes was during a Middle Division bake sale. “The pizzas sell within minutes. It makes the most money out of all the options.” (The school now has a set price for pizza to prevent upcharges: three dollars for one slice or five dollars for two.)

Ordering from Broadway Joes is extremely easy as they are always organized with orders, Goldsmith said. “The people are very nice over the phone, and the pizza always arrives on time.”