LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Lexington Pizza Week is giving diners a chance to try specialty pizzas that won’t be found on local restaurant menus year-round, with participating restaurants offering 10-inch pies or two large slices for $10 through Sunday.
FOX56 crews had the chance to stop by both Joe Bologna’s and Rosati’s in Lexington to dive deeper into what they have to offer for the week.
Lexington Pizza Week returns with new specialty pies, prizes
At Joe Bologna’s on West Maxwell Street, the Pizza Week specials are already drawing more customers than expected.
Owner and general manager Bill Bedini said the restaurant’s opening-day sales for its Pizza Week pizzas were double those of the first day of last year’s event.
“It’s exceeded our expectations,” Bedini said. “We’re really pleased with the results so far.”
Joe Bologna’s, which has served Lexington for over 50 years, created two pizzas for the event.
The Wildcat Q puts a Kentucky-inspired spin on pizza, combining house-made macaroni and cheese, smoked brisket, and the restaurant’s barbecue sauce. The vegetarian option, the Ortolana Classica, features garlic oil, Romano and mozzarella cheeses, asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes, roasted red tomatoes, and black olives.
Bedini, who took over the restaurant about two years ago, said the restaurant continues to make its food from scratch, accommodate large parties, and now takes reservations.
He said events such as Pizza Week can help restaurants attract customers at a time when higher prices for everyday necessities can leave people with less money for dining out.
“The weeks are really important because it brings a focus on the restaurant,” Bedini said.
He said Joe Bologna’s saw similar benefits when it participated in Burger Week and plans to participate in Bourbon Week in November.
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At Rosati’s Pizza on Malabu Drive, Pizza Week is also bringing a special Chicago-inspired creation to Kentucky customers.
The restaurant’s featured pizza is Kuz’s Italian Flair, offered with or without homemade Italian sausage. Both versions start with pizza sauce, fresh garlic, roasted Italian eggplant, roasted red bell pepper, red onion and mozzarella. Ricotta, Pecorino Romano, oregano, fresh basil and Calabrian chili oil finish the pizza.
Emily Marks, sales director for Smiley Pete Publishing, which organizes Lexington Pizza Week, said the restaurant weeks are designed to drive traffic to locally owned businesses and introduce customers to restaurants they may not otherwise visit.
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“We strategically place these weeks at times that aren’t naturally super busy times of the year for them,” Marks said.
This year’s Pizza Week includes over a dozen participating restaurants, with each restaurant offering a meat option and a vegetarian option.
Customers can use the Lexington Pizza Week app to find participating restaurants, view the featured pizzas and leave feedback. The app also allows participants to compete for prizes, including gift cards and a year supply of free pizza.
Marks said the goal is to turn a $10 specialty pizza into an introduction to a local restaurant—and potentially a reason for customers to return after Pizza Week ends on Sept. 27.
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