Pizza Shop Recalls the Golden Age of Arcade Games

If you decide to check out DeLeo Bros. Pizza in Woodbury, don’t forget to take some quarters.

Stepping into the shop takes patrons to a time long before Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty—a time when Pac-Man and Frogger reigned supreme, and playing a video game required heading to the nearest arcade with a pocketful of change.

The row of arcade relics isn’t just for fun—the restaurant typically has a game of the month where the game’s top three scorers win free food, said front of the house manager Kate Steffenson.

The restaurant menu includes pizza—obviously—calzones, hoagies, pasta and salads.

DeLeo’s occasionally holds fundraiser events for churches, sports teams and food shelters, where 15 percent of the day’s profits go toward the cause, and birthday parties for kids, Steffenson said.

The kids’ parties are popular, she said, because the shop’s owner—Nathaniel Dahlman—takes the kids behind the counter, teaches them how to spin a 10-inch pizza and then lets them put their toppings on.

To conclude, we quote the shop’s website: “We'll see you soon. Totally tubular!”

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the percentage of profits that go toward causes during fundraising events.