Pinocchio's May Start Delivery

In a move to keep up with the competition, the everpopular Pinocchio's Pizza & Subs may soon start a delivery service to Harvard dorms.

Manager and half-owner Rico DiCenso confirmed rumors yesterday that his pizza hangout is "in the beginning stages" of looking into an expansion to keep in step with competitors such as Pizza Ring, Harvard House of Pizza and Dial-A-Pizza.

"Everybody's doing it," said DiCenzo, "and we don't want our customers going elswhere."

Adam DiCenso, one of the owner's sons, said Pinocchio's gets most of its business from people in the Square. But he said Pinocchio's might be able to attract more customers through a delivery service.

The elder DiCenso said he and his partner have several reservations they must resolve before making a final decision on a delivery service.

DiCenso said he is concerned about overextending his eight employees--and he said he has no plans to hire more help.

Also, the management must decide how far it would deliver. While orders within a mile of the restaurant could be delivered on foot, deliveries to other Harvard residences would require a car, DiCenso said.

And those distant locations are where some of the additional business might be found, said Anamarie E. Huerta '95.

"We probably would still come here because it's really close, but for those in the Quad the delivery would be convenient," Huerta said.

While some students interviewed last night said that delivery from Pinocchio's would be convenient, they said they might not use the service because they enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant as much as the food.

"The walk to the restaurant from the Houses ispart of the study break," said Nathan Hunt '94.

Katherine F. Patton '94 said she might be moreinclined to use the delivery service when theNortheastern winter sets in.

"If you order in you would have to study theextra twenty minutes, but if it's cold I wouldprobably order in," Patton said.

Standard of Quality

DiCenso's largest concern with an expansion isthat a change could jeopardize his establishment'shigh standard of quality.

"We don't want to do anything that is not doneright," DiCenso said.

DiCenso attributes Pinocchio's success to thistype of customer-first attitude.

When DiCenso and his partner purchasedPinocchio's in 1984, the restaurant--like othersin Harvard Square--had fallen on hard times due toa tough economy and construction on the Red Linethrough the Square.

It was then that Pinocchio's made it a point tocater to the students.

Pinocchio's strived to make "them feelcomfortable when they were far away from homebesides serving good pizza and subs," DiCensosaid.

The owner said he didn't have any timetable forthe introduction of a delivery service.

If he goes ahead with a delivery service, hesaid it is unlikely that the prices at therestaurant would change. Instead, he said he mayadd a two dollar delivery charge

"The walk to the restaurant from the Houses ispart of the study break," said Nathan Hunt '94.

Katherine F. Patton '94 said she might be moreinclined to use the delivery service when theNortheastern winter sets in.

"If you order in you would have to study theextra twenty minutes, but if it's cold I wouldprobably order in," Patton said.

Standard of Quality

DiCenso's largest concern with an expansion isthat a change could jeopardize his establishment'shigh standard of quality.

"We don't want to do anything that is not doneright," DiCenso said.

DiCenso attributes Pinocchio's success to thistype of customer-first attitude.

When DiCenso and his partner purchasedPinocchio's in 1984, the restaurant--like othersin Harvard Square--had fallen on hard times due toa tough economy and construction on the Red Linethrough the Square.

It was then that Pinocchio's made it a point tocater to the students.

Pinocchio's strived to make "them feelcomfortable when they were far away from homebesides serving good pizza and subs," DiCensosaid.

The owner said he didn't have any timetable forthe introduction of a delivery service.

If he goes ahead with a delivery service, hesaid it is unlikely that the prices at therestaurant would change. Instead, he said he mayadd a two dollar delivery charge