For Tommy’s, A ‘Unique’ Sub

First it was the sesame seed crusts that disappeared. Now it’s the Tommy’s Pizza itself.

The campus pizzeria—popular with students looking for late-night, post partying nourishment—has changed its name, ownership, menu, and even its interior decor. Now a Unique Pizza and Subs franchise, the eatery, which opened this past Wednesday, features an entirely different pizza recipe.

William R. Newell ’95, the director of conversions for College Street LLC—a real estate firm that owns the franchise rights to all New England Unique Pizzas and Subs—said that the latest round of Tommy’s owners were looking to sell and they jumped at the opportunity.

“They didn’t understand Harvard, and they didn’t understand what people wanted here,” Newell said.

The Mt. Auburn St. eatery has also shed the dingy interior that was a hallmark of the old Tommy’s in favor of brand new green and wood-paneled furniture and two flat-panel television sets, both of which feature cable television.

Newell, who was a wide receiver on the football team while at Harvard, said he plans to add a variety of Harvard sports paraphernalia to the restaurant in the near future.

“I was here. I played for ‘the Murph.’ I want to make this a place where Harvard People feel comfortable,” Newell said.

But reaction among students so far has been mixed.

Sam W. Strike ’06-’08 lamented that the food quality was not up to par with Tommy’s.

“It’s cleaner, it’s got nice TVs, but the pizza just doesn’t taste as good, frankly,” Strike said. “Overall I wish they had just given Tommy’s a face lift.”

Pinocchio’s Pizza & Subs owner Rico Dicenso—who was not aware that a new pizzeria had replaced Tommy’s—said that he was not concerned about the new competition.

“My attitude about being in business is like a marathon runner—if you’re leading the way, don’t look back,” Dicenso said.

While some students mourned the switch from the individually owned and operated Tommy’s to a franchise restaurant chain, others said they enjoyed the larger slices and thought the pizza now tastes better.

“I’ll say it’s better and the slices are huge,” Brian F. Rapp ’05 said. “But it all depends on how it’s going to taste at 2:30 in the morning when you’re hung-over.”

One thing that will remain the same is the hours. Like Tommy’s, Unique will stay open until 2 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday nights and will deliver for free. Newell said he also plans to offer students the option of paying with Crimson Cash.

Jim Vowler, the president and CEO of the publicly traded Unique Pizza and Subs, said that he plans to have 200 locations open nationwide within the next 18 months. He currently has franchises in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

“We didn’t come here to put Pinocchio’s out of business. There’s room here for everyone,” Vowler said.

Vowler also added that he hopes to donate money to various Harvard scholarship funds in the future.

The changeover at 49 Mt. Auburn Street will not affect neighboring Tommy’s Value Convenience Store. Tommy’s Value and Tommy’s Pizza were separately owned and operated.

—Staff writer Evan M. Vittor can be reached at evittor@fas.harvard.edu.