By Megan Alley
Sun Reporter
Amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a New Richmond pizzeria is helping area families in need by doing what it knows best – serving up pizza.
Snappy Tomato’s New Richmond location, owned by local Stuart Vincent, is giving away pizza to those who have been hit the hardest by the second wave of the pandemic and recent school shutdown to remote learning; in the New Richmond Exempted Village School District, a surge of positive COVID-19 cases, along with students and staff being placed in quarantine, have caused the school district to move from its in-person learning model to full remote learning, with all extra-curricular activities to be put on hold, for at least two weeks, starting Nov. 23.
Vincent describes the free pizza program as “adopting” families that have been impacted by the recent effects.
Three days a week, each family gets any large pizza they want for free, and they are also given the store’s family discount of 50 percent off anything else they want.
Vincent said that for now, his pizzeria will be assisting these families through the end of the year.
Vincent’s desire to help is rooted in his love for his community. He started working at Snappy Tomato when he was a senior at New Richmond High School.
“I was just a delivery driver back then, but worked my way up until I took over the store in August of 2016,” he wrote in an email interview with The Sun. “It’s basically been my second family since then, and I wouldn’t pick anything else.”
Vincent said that during the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he like a lot of local businesses experienced “a scary few weeks in the beginning when the first shutdown happened.”
Nonetheless, Vincent, during those early months, made the same offer to families during the first shutdown, and the offer lasted until the school’s summer break began.
“It was originally just going to be a meal for students who were missing out on school lunches, but after Project Lunchbox stepped up to provide those meals, we decided to continue to help the families who reached out because we just had to do something for our community,” he explained. “We even have a little mascot spider figure, we call her Gail, in our lobby from a nice woman we sent toilet paper and pizza to in the beginning.”
Vincent said that his pizzeria has since rebounded and has had steady business for several months.
“We are heading into our slow season, but are actually doing great thanks to our community’s better understanding of what is happening and supporting local businesses,” he added.
Vincent said that he and his wife come from low-income families, and it’s those experiences that have inspired him to offer the free-pizza program.
“We know the value of not having to worry about where your next meal is going to come from for you and your children. When my wife and I were first married, and I was getting used to providing for a family of three, we relied on others’ kindness and programs like the food pantries or food stamps to get by, so if I can lighten the load for somebody else today that’s what I want to do,” he explained, adding, “Not to mention, my wife’s first response when she sees someone hurting is to feed them, and we have a way to do that.”
Snappy Tomato has also regularly fed local businesses, first responders and anybody else Vincent hears about who needs some extra help. In 2019, he partnered with a local man to feed those being served at James Sauls Homeless Shelter in Batavia.
Snappy Tomato’s current offer is open to any New Richmond Schools students and their families who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic and the switch to remote learning, Vincent said.
While the program is still ramping up, several families have already signed up for the help, and the pizzeria has also delivered (with no contact) a few pizza care packages to local who have had to quarantine.
So far, the free pizza offer has met with positive response.
“[Folks are] extremely grateful and [have reacted] kindly. We’ve even had some people reach out to help us,” Vincent said. “Fortunately, we are able to handle the current people who’ve reached out to us, so we’ve been directing people to donate to Lions Reach Out.”
The Lions Reach Out is a small nonprofit that benefits the local school district. To donate, email Lions Reach Out founder and New Richmond High School teacher Susan Griffin at [email protected] or donate to their PayPal at [email protected].
Vincent said, “It’s an amazing organization that helps these very families in need. It’s been very difficult for them to raise money this year due to the pandemic.”
Snappy Tomato NR is located at 1041 Old U.S. 52. Customers may order, for delivery or carry out, via phone at 513-553-3300 or online at www.snappytomato.com/location/new-richmond-ohio/.