Mercer County Pizzeria Dishing Up Free Pies for Cops in September

It can seem as though being a cop is a thankless job, especially over the last year.

Numerous reports of police-involved shootings in which an unarmed victim is killed have lead to outrage, protests, the shooting of police officers and the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, one pizza shop owner in Mercer County has made it his goal to show his appreciation for police officers.

Rick DeLorzenzo, the owner of DeLorenzo’s Pizza is offering free pizza to uniformed police officers who come into his shop throughout the month of September.

“I was moved by reports of cops being killed and protests against cops,” said DeLorenzo, whose pizzeria already gives police officers and firefighters a 25 percent discount. “I figured I would offer free pizza to police officers for the whole month.”

He said he posted the announcement on Facebook, and it grabbed attention quickly. In that post, he said the offer was being made “in response to all the hate and violence being inflicted on law enforcement recently.”

“People are sending me money, food companies are pitching in to help offset my costs,” said DeLorenzo, who has also spoken with multiple local news outlets and appeared on the nationally televised “Fox and Friends” last weekend.

However, the response from those who benefit from the offer has been a little slower.

“We’ve haven’t had a lot of cops come in so far, but I think the more the message gets out, the more they’ll come in,” DeLorenzo said. “Police officers don’t seem to like to take gifts, but we’ve had a few state troopers come in and they’ve been very appreciative. They can’t thank me enough.”

DeLorenzo, 60, is a second-generation owner of a 75-year-old business. He has family members who work with him in the pizzeria and calls the operation of the business a family affair.

He is married with three grown children. He has no police officers in his immediate family, but said he’s had some cousins who were cop.

“I’m not real involved in law enforcement,” DeLorenzo said.

He has been involved in charities, including various churches, a visitation home for the mentally disabled, and the City of Angels drug rehabilitation group, among others.

DeLorenzo’s Pizza was established in 1938. It is located at at 147 Sloan Avenue in Hamilton Township.

For more on the pizzeria, visit delorenzospizza.com.

The attached image was posted on delorenzospizza.com.