A Long Branch pizza maker is receiving high praise on social media for his treatment of local school kids with little or no money.
Adriano, of Adriano’s Pizza, at 3329 Lake Shore Blvd. W., is known to hand out bottles of cold water, or maybe a few slices, to area kids in distress walking by.
“It’s all about the little things we do in life,” Adriano says. “You treat the kids good now and you will have a friend for life.”
He regularly donates his tasty pies to a range of charities, which has been slow lately due to COVID-19.
Adriano has presented to at-risk children expensive running shoes or items of clothing given to him by others.
“One time I saw one kid and his shoes had holes and his feet was wet,” he recalls. “I had a nice shoe here at the store and I gave it to him. He still comes back.”
Area resident Jenn Samson says a “gaggle of teens were walking by” when they were called into Adriano’s shop and left a few minutes later with candies in their hands and giggles on their faces.
“That man is the best guy ever!” one kid said, with the other agreeing.
“Teens aren’t always the most top-paying customers,” Samson says in an online post. “A lot of restaurants accept the business, but find teens loud and annoying.”
She recalls a restaurant in Mimico that treated kids fondly in the 1980s and they still talk about the place lovingly to this day.
“It makes a huge impact on them in a world that rolls their eyes on this stage of life,” she says.
It’s nostalgic to see a business owner not only take pride in their business, but looking out for our kids and being there for them to even just put a smile on their faces, she wrote.
“Bunch of teens laughing and chatting and eating lollipops,” Samson notes. “It was a sight to see.”
“Absolutely best pizza and reasonably price,” Helena Walker-Macinnis wrote about Adriano’s Pizza on social media. “This lakeshore pizza is delicious.”
The social media posting obtained more than 68 comments from area residents who have declared their love for Adriano’s Pizza.
Adriano gets a ‘like’ for sharing his care and respect with our younger citizens in these trying times.