Truckin

Vinny Vincenz Expands Its Fleet, Revs Up ‘The Pizza Truck’

The original.
The original. Photo: Courtesy of Vinny Vincenz

Last night in the meatpacking district, we spotted an unmarked truck painted a familiar red. Turns out, the duo behind the Vinny Vincenz Pizza Mobile, Salvatore Olivella and Vinny Vincenz, recently launched (along with a third partner) a new truck that will do night duty in the meatpacking district while the original parks at West 27th Street. Next week, it gets signage branding it simply the Pizza Truck. During the day, the Pizza Truck will be a civil affair serving pastas, paninis, salads, and, of course, the patented Grandma slice—there’s even an espresso machine on board. But don’t expect fancy prosciutto slices at night, when Olivella admits he’s mainly in the business of feeding drunks. “It’s crazy stuff you’ve never seen before in your life,” he says through a thick Italian accent, describing girls who’ve offered to flash him for a free slice. (He’ll be competing with Gaslight’s pizzeria, which opened next to the lounge a few months ago.)

Last night, in addition to standard slices, there were chicken and spinach empanadas that Olivella refers to as “baby calzones.” Olivella says he’s planning to launch a third truck, covering the Wall Street area, in late July, though Vincenz says they’re still in negotiations. In the meantime, a website for the new fleet should launch next week. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Olivella, who has been involved with L’Asso and Pie by the Pound, says the new truck cost about $45,000 to start up, but the business is better than any he’s seen before: “At a restaurant you make $45,000 to $50,000 a week, but you don’t see nothing. Too many bills today!”

Vinny Vincenz Expands Its Fleet, Revs Up ‘The Pizza Truck’