Pizza War heating up in South Tampa | News

Tampa, Florida -- If you enjoy good slice of pizza, you may have heard South Tampa is rapidly becoming a doughy destination.

That's good news for foodies, but it's also left some long-standing restaurants concerned about getting their share of the pie.

Apparently marinara mavens have decided you can't have too much pizza in South Tampa. Within a mile of Plant High School, there are now more than a dozen pizza purveyors, with a new contender -- Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza -- soon to join the mozzarella masses.

Ryan Brandt, is General Manager at "Your Pie" pizza, right across from the high school. Until Anthony's decided to move into the area, their's was the newest pizza place on the block.

"We can handle three of four for now," says Brandt, who sees the competition getting hotter.

The concentration of pizzerias doesn't surprise Brandt.

The South Tampa location just seems to cater to the discriminating pizza palate, he says.

"You know when the kids get out, they come in. That helps a lot. They tell their parents and their parents want to try it."

The growing number of red-sauce retailers concentrated in one location admittedly concerns Silvana Bastone too.

Silvana's father opened Cesare's New York Pizza in Tampa 36 years ago. Back then, they were the only pizzeria on the same small stretch of South Dale Mabry. Now there are going to be three competitors within three blocks.

"I just wish they wouldn't come so close," says Silvana, "I wish there was little boundaries - like so many feet you can have another pizza shop."

Silvana is feeling the pressure, despite having loyal customers like Dan Murphy, who hopes the mom-and-pop places like Cesare's don't get squeezed out.

"It's the best pizza in Tampa," he says, "So why wouldn't you come here?"

At Paci's Pizza just two blocks away, they're confident their pie will prevail.

Sure, folks may sample the crusty creations at other places. Different styles, and different ingredients, "but they always come back to us and tell us they love our pizza too," says the restaurant's owner, Natalie Caccitorre. "There's enough pizza to go around."

Enough, they hope, to keep everyone rolling in the dough. Especially if the neighborhood gains a reputation as a mozzarella Mecca.

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