(ANSA) - Cash-strapped tourists keen to sample one of Italy's most famous specialities need no longer miss out, as a nationwide deal for cheap pizza and beer went active on Tuesday.
The initiative, which was set up by national retailers' association Confcommercio, guarantees diners a pizza and beer for just seven euros, with coffee thrown in for an extra 50 cents.
Nearly 180 pizzerias across Italy have signed up to the scheme, promising to provide the deal for one night of the week until the end of the year. "I'm really happy to have kept the promise we made," said Confcommercio President Sergio Bille, who first
discussed the idea during a popular TV show.
Pizza sales usually drop in the summer months but Bille noted that this year had been particularly tough due to a sharp drop in consumer spending. "We've asked a sector that's already under stress to make that extra push," he explained.
However, he said he was convinced that "come September, when we reopen the list, the number of participating pizzerias will double or triple" as sales pick up again. The move was greeted warmly by consumer group Codacons, which said it was "excellent news", if "somewhat late in coming" given the rise in pizza prices over recent years.
The details of participating pizzerias can found online at www.ilpattodellapizza.it.