Nowadays, it is pretty common to pop into your local pizza to grab a slice of pie. In fact, it is something most of us do when we want a quick lunch or a bite to eat on the way out. Sadly, this wasn’t always an option. When the pizza was first being sold in New York City, one couldn’t simply grab a slice of pizza. Instead, pizzas were sold exclusively by the pie. If you wanted a pizza, you had to buy the whole pie. Not exactly convenient if you were on your own and craving a slice.

In 1933, Patsy Lancieri, of the famed Patsy’s Pizzeria in New York City modernized the trend by selling pizza by the slice. The change was an instant success. Suddenly, working Italian-immigrants were grabbing pizza by the slice as a quick lunch or bite to eat. When other pizzerias saw the success Patsy’s was enjoying, they also began to sell pizza by the slice.

In our time, buying pizza by the slice is common practice. When you simply don’t need a whole pie, buying a slice or two makes perfect sense. Thanks to Patsy’s in New York City, we can all enjoy a slice of pizza when a craving strikes.