Photo courtesy of Furkan Alakoç via Pexels
By Carla Morales
TAMPA, Fla. — Pizza is a popular food among college students across the United States. Whether it is to eat with a group of friends or order it on a late
night, pizza is a common choice. The simplicity and accessibility of this food are almost irresistible.
According to the National Library of Medicine, pizza has been ranked as the fourth most-craved food, and several components make pizza craveable, including saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.
“It’s a food where even picky people can eat. Even if you don’t like the cheese, you can take it off. If you don’t like the sauce, you can take it out,” said Vito Scibilia, sophomore at the University of Tampa. “It’s just reliable food.”
Specifically for UTampa, the appeal of pizza is paired with its accessibility. Located in downtown Tampa, the university is surrounded by restaurants, giving students several options when they want a place to eat with their friends or a late-night order.
Scibilia said Santoro’s has become a familiar spot for UTampa students, in part because several students from the university work at the restaurant.
“I do know that a lot of people that work there are from the University of Tampa. I feel like a lot of people kind of gravitate there because there’s already a sense of community from the school,” said Scibilia.
As Tampa is one of the largest cities in Florida, home to over 3.3 million people, there are endless food options to suffice the amount of people in the city. Notably, among those endless food options is a fan favorite place: a pizzeria.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa has a pizza restaurant every 1.75 miles, highlighting Tampa Bay’s large pizza scene.
Some students who are new to UTampa have already tapped into the pizza scene in Tampa. Waldemar Ayala, a first-year finance major, has only been in Tampa for two and a half weeks but has already visited several local pizzerias, including Santoro’s, Eddie & Sam’s, and Three Corners.
“I think the pizza scene looks, from my perspective, very promising, and I still haven’t tried many, so I am excited,” he said with a smile on his face.
Among the endless pizzerias in the area, Santoro’s Pizzeria is a very popular restaurant that combines Philadelphia and New York City flavors, just 0.8 miles away from UTampa, serving pizza, subs, pasta, and desserts since 2021.
For pizza shop owners, the appeal goes beyond just the taste. Santoro’s owner, Travis Kaiser, said affordability and convenience are two primary reasons pizza continues to attract customers, especially college students.
“It is relatively an inexpensive type of food, so I think you just get a good bang for your buck,” said Kaiser. “It’s easing that ease of access where you can just go in and grab something, and you’re out the door.”
For college students, that convenience aspect of dining can be especially important. Between classes, studying and socializing, students often look for food that is quick, affordable, and easy to share.
“Convenience is everybody’s number one thing. That’s why Uber Eats exists. Do more with less time; that’s the main thing,” Kaiser said.
The convenience of pizza also extends beyond dining in. For students returning to campus after a night out, ordering a pizza can be an easy way to end the night without having to leave the dorm.
According to HuffPost, “College students are 87 percent more likely to order late-night meals than the average diner, according to GrubHub, and 70 percent less likely to order food between 6 and 9 a.m.”
Kaiser said the connection between pizza shops and college students extends beyond the customers who walk through the door. Young employees, their friends, and other students can contribute to the social atmosphere surrounding local pizzerias.
For UTampa students, pizza has become more than a quick meal. Its affordability, convenience, and ability to bring people together have made it a familiar part of the college experience. With local pizzerias surrounding campus and new students continuing to explore Tampa’s growing pizza scene, the city’s relationship with college students and pizza shows no signs of slowing down.