Posted on: July 16, 2023, 02:28h.
Last updated on: July 16, 2023, 02:28h.
A video highlighting the exorbitant price of a pie at Di Fara Pizza at the Caesars Palace food cart has become immensely popular. Posted on Saturday on Las Vegas YouTube influencer Jacob Orth’s Twitter feed, “This is How Crazy Food Prices Are in Las Vegas” has received 300K views and nearly 100 comments within a day.
Moreover, the price listed on Di Fara’s menu for a pepperoni pizza, $52.99, apparently increased by another dollar since the video was posted. The restaurant’s order-ahead menu now states that the same pie costs $53.99. (The price of a regular cheese pie rose from $49.99 to $50.99.)
For comparison, the current price for a regular pie at Di Fara Pizzeria’s original location in Brooklyn, NY, which opened in 1965, is $25.
While it is possible that the cost to lease a space in Caesars Palace’s Forum Food Hall, which guarantees heavy and hungry foot traffic, is double the cost in Brooklyn, this did not prevent nearly 100 Twitter users from expressing their displeasure with predatory pricing.
“They’re taking advantage of tourists, and it seems like they don’t care and are willing to pay,” commented Twitter user @TomD80106675. “I challenge any local who goes there saying ‘I’m okay with a $53 pizza that looks like a $10 pie from a chain store Marcos’.”
“From 2003 to 2019, I visited Vegas twice a year,” added @SEGamingReport. “Great food, reasonable prices, fun gambling. Why should I consider going back now? I’m down $2000 before I even arrive.”
“That’s embarrassing,” commented @mizzoulegend. “Grimaldis is right across the street and their pizza, which is much better than a food court offering, is $26.”
“Big fat NAY!!!” commented @tamieliel. “This makes me so angry and sad too.😡”
One commenter claimed that they were so outraged when they saw the pizzeria’s menu in person that it inspired them to organize an act of civil disobedience.
“I saw that price…took out my phone…found the nearest Pizza Hut, ordered 2 pizzas, wings, & 2 two-liters…had it delivered and gave the delivery person a $15 tip…sat in their dining area and handed out pizza, wings, and drinks…. I spend so much money there that all the security said was SAVE US SOME,” wrote @Globalsportsbet.
To be fair, there were a few defenders of Di Fara, which then-New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio declared to be his “favorite pizza” in 2013. They included @_BrittTaylorr, who commented: “This is Di Fara. It has its own catalog of pizza. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s the only store other than the original. It’s a legendary New York pie. If you want Pizza Hut, it’s down the street.”
Added @jrstew2016: “It’s the STRIP. Of course, it’s going to be expensive. You should provide context behind stuff like this. There are places on the strip that aren’t this expensive, or off the strip that aren’t far.”
Have Las Vegas food prices gotten out of hand? Leave your comment below.