When I walked into Mario’s Pizza, it was mostly because I saw chairs and just wanted a place to sit. To be honest, I had not decided to eat here because there was no appeal at first: The outside of the store was dirty, and the inside of the shop was not much better either. I bought a drink and sat down. I sat there for 45 minutes, at which during this period I recognized a pattern in the people that it attracted. It is a small shop, which consists of one booth, three four-people-tables, two fridges, and one television mounted on the wall on the same side as the entrance. I realized that given the enclosed area, the big windows welcoming the sun in, and TV, the people inside appeared to feel relaxed and welcomed. That was how I felt as well. It attracted small families that had younger children, doctors, an older population, and occasionally a wanderer like myself. When I got up to leave for my interview, the man who took orders wished me a good day, and a fellow who cleaned the tables jumped quickly to the door to hold it open; I had not remembered a recent time in New York where there was such a comforting hospitality and warmth.
As I walked to Dekalk Avenue from Mario’s, I noticed across the road, because it’s huge and hard to miss, Montefiore hospital. I passed by several different shops: specialized Montefiore owned offices, a barbershop, a nail salon, a pharmacy, and a day care. It was 2:30pm and the sidewalks were busy with people who seemed to be rushing. After my interview at around 4pm, I went back to Mario’s. I was hungry, and like I said, there was a strong welcoming vibe there. I am thinking that that may also be a reason people go there.
The second time that I went to Mario’s, I sat there for two hours after my internship. Given there were not many tables, it provided an environment where people were encouraged to sit with each other. An older Jamaican woman asked if she could join me, and we talked for an hour and a half. She had just received good news at Montefiore and she said she loved coming to Mario’s after her doctor’s appointments. At the table next to us, three nurses were sitting down and talking about their nursing supervisor. It was interesting that every time I saw a doctor come into the pizza place, they never sat down. It was interesting watching the power differential between doctor and patient, it seemed to still linger even in Mario’s similar to how you may feel around an off duty cop, I would think.
The third time I went to Mario’s, I sat at the booth in the corner of the room. There were two very loud older stereotypical New York men. Each table would look at each other, like they were banding together, connecting on the idea that this was a place to be quiet and peaceful. After the men left, the table next to me started a conversation with the pizza man and me about the two gentlemen. The way this shop is designed definitely encourages people to mingle and connect. Every time I leave the shop, they say good-bye and see you next week.
Last week when I went to Mario’s, I overheard a girl talking on the phone concerning her father being in the hospital. I realized that a lot of the people that came here must be affiliated with some hospital business of sorts; perhaps that is why the vibe of yearning for connection is consistently present, people need it. Mario’s, a simple pizza place that resides in the Bronx, presents an environment that delivers comfort and connection( plus great pizza which is always a bonus!).