Austin Pizza Joint Offers Free Food To First Responders

AUSTIN, TX ― Pinthouse Pizza is offering a free personal pie and soda to first responders on Thursday as a gesture of thanks for their tireless work in locating a serial bomber who terrorized the city for three weeks before being located.

“Please provide your badge, and we’ll be happy to take care of you,” restaurant officials wrote on their Facebook page. “Thank you for your courage, hard work, and for keeping this great community safe. Cheers!”

The offer is available at any Pinthouse Pizza location, and it's good for a free personal pizza and soda. First responders can upgrade to a beer for a mere dollar, restaurant officials noted. The deal is being offered to all manner of emergency responders: Local police and sheriff’s deputies, firemen, emergency medical technicians, FBI, CIA, ATF and nurses and doctors who present their credentials.

For the Pinthouse Pizza website, click here. There's one at 4236 S. Lamar Blvd. Patch reached out to the restaurant for details, and a worker there said the offer was spontaneous. But if you're a hungry emergency worker, there's still time to partake; the restaurant serves until midnight today.

The folks at downtown barbecue joint Iron Works BBQ are believed to have been the first local restaurant offering much-needed nourishment to emergency workers with free food on Wednesday. Full disclosure: The Iron Works folks also were kind enough to deliver brisket and chicken sandwiches to weary members of the media needing nourishment while covering SXSW. This reporter was gifted a delicious brisket sandwich one day during the festival, delivered by a guy on a hoverboard. (Thanks, Jack!)

Let us know of any other establishments thanking first responders in this manner so we can give them their props by emailing antonio.cantu@patch.com. Emergency officials' displayed indefatigable work during the three-week siege terrorized the city before the bomber's demise. Patch extends its own wishes of gratitude to the hundreds of largely unsung law enforcement officials who played their part in keeping the city safe.

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