A new pizzeria in San Antonio has taken a gamble on local influencers, and the bet’s paying off.
Serving New York-style pies, wings, subs and more, the Las Vegas-themed Casino Pizza held its grand opening on June 26, promising a 15% discount on meals for the entire day. But it has also drawn foodie influencers throughout July—a total of six since July 1—some of whom trumpeted its menu to followers numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
“Our restaurant is small, but we really want everyone to have a good experience,” an owner, not identified by name, told MySanAntonio.com. “We appreciate the support from everyone that’s stepped in.”
Related: Drone delivery is on the brink of reshaping the pizza segment
The foodie reviews started on July 1 with an influencer known as @foodiefeastsa. That account has 9,233 Instagram followers. Others joined the parade, including @the_lost_local_sa, with 51,000 followers on Instagram.
Additionally, Casino Pizza received visits from Rick Rodriguez of @random.acts.of.snacks (1,097 followers) and Letty Balderas of @sa_withme (8,398 followers), who describes herself as a “Texas mama who likes to eat, travel and shop.”
Just days later, Casino Pizza got a bigger boost from influencer Cherise Moreno of @satexasfoodies, who has 181,000 followers. She noted that the restaurant has “some of the LOWEST PRICES in town on pizza and pizza combos.”
Chris Flores of @eatmigos (107,000 followers) was more effusive, claiming Casino Pizza “is one of the best pizzerias in San Antonio….They’ve only been open two weeks, but their menu and their food is nostalgic, like a staple pizzeria that has been pushing out salads and subs and pizzas and pastas for a very long time.”
Flores named the Lucky Señor Fajita Pizza his “personal favorite.” He also said he tried his first-ever chicken Parmesan sandwich there—the Sin City Chicken Parm Sub—and “fell in love after the first bite.”
As the influencer reviews poured in, Casino Pizza shared each one on social media. Business grew so quickly, the restaurant sold out on Saturday, July 13. The pizzeria’s Instagram page thanked Flores that day for “stopping by and creating an amazing video that many people have been mentioning.”
“All the other influencers that have stopped by, we appreciate you as well,” the post continued. “Thanks again for joining us. To everyone that gave us a chance, we will see you all on Monday.”
Casino Pizza’s menu has a Vegas theme, with Wildcard Wings, Aces High Subs and Vegas Strip Calzones/Strombolis. The High Roller Pizzas include the MGM (olive oil, mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, Romano cheese, garlic, oregano and parsley) and the Aria (basil pesto sauce, Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled chicken, artichokes, garlic and Romano cheese).
Gambler Specials, offered all day long every day, include a large one-topping pie for $12.25, a one-topping New York-style slice, salad and drink for $9.80 and spaghetti and meatballs with a salad for $14.95.