PITTSTON – Arcaros the Next Generation restaurant and Parente’s Bakery, both Main Street establishments, joined forces handing out 300 unbaked trays of pizza on May 3 as a sign of goodwill to Greater Pittston. No financial requirements were necessary and pizza was handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I heard this past Friday (May 1) afternoon from Francine (Arcaro), and she had a great idea to team up with Parente’s and give out 300 pizza’s on Main Street,” Mary Kroptavich, Pittston’s Main Street coordinator, said. “(Mayor Michael Lombardo) and I discussed it and thought the Pittston Memorial Library would be a better location. People could just drive into the parking lot, grab their pizza and drive out.”
The pizza giveaway was to kick off at noon with cars lined up from the library entrance back to Main Street with a few cars lining Main Street
Once the combined forces from Arcaro’s and Parente’s unloaded the truck full of pizzas and were set up, the giveaway began just before noon.
Within the first 15-minutes, the line of cars in waiting were cleared and 140 trays of pizza were handed given away.
At 1:46 p.m., Arcaros the Next Generation posted on Facebook all the pizza was gone.
“Tina (Oliveri) and I were talking and we wanted to do something cool and both came up with the idea and we just finalized it on Friday,” Francine Arcaro, said. “We said, let’s do it this Sunday so Parente’s did the dough and shells and my staff prepared the sauce and cheese. It’s a great feeling to see all of this and if I could do it anywhere, it would be Pittston.”
Both families got together on Sunday morning at Arcaros to prepare to box the unbaked trays that were loaded on the truck for transport for the noon giveaway. “My grandfather Angelo Parente started the business and Parente’s has been in Pittston its whole existence,” Tina Oliveri said. “When Francine and I talked about it, we thought it was a great idea. Any little bit counts these days and we’re excited to be here. My grandfather said Pittston is his whole life so he would do anything.”
Helene Vernagis, of Dupont, a customer of Arcaros the Next Generation, was on hand to help with handing out pizza.
“I see these drop-offs all the time on the news and I wanted to help,” Vernagis said. “They are so good to the community and what she (Francine Arcaro) does for kids. Their staff is excellent and their service is excellent and I appreciate what they do.”
“Francine is continuously giving back to the community,” Kroptavich said. “When COVID-19 first happened, she was the first business in town to offer to feed the children lunch that where home. She did that for six weeks. Any event that we have, she always steps up and is always giving back to the community.”
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