Hey, losers, you may have blown your shot at $1.6 BILLION (through no fault of your own... or is it?) on Tuesday, but at least you can get a free slice of fast food franchise pizza! Provided you didn't angrily crumple your losing lotto ticket and toss it in the trash, that is.
With Mega Millions pandemonium in the rearview—one lucky South Carolinian won the towering $1.537 billion jackpot on Tuesday—we have now become a nation of losers. Are you among the chumps destined to live off conciliatory food deals after blowing all your money on the pile of lottery tickets into which you now weep? Villa Italian Kitchen—"a New York original since 1964"—invites you to eat your feelings: Enjoy a free slice of cheese pizza with the purchase of a beverage and a flash of your wasted ticket. (Only originals, no photocopies please, and make sure it has a drawing date of October 23rd.)
Villa Italian Kitchen, which opened its first eatery next to the CBS/Ed Sullivan Show Theater on Broadway and now boasts almost 250 franchises nationwide, asked itself a tough question when considering the hordes who bought into Mega Millions, only to have their dreams crushed: "What will happen to all the losers?" Some, but not all, will be eligible to eat one (1) piece of cardboard-crusted plain pizza at participating Villa locations, while supplies last, on Wednesday only. Also, please note that once you exchange your slip for consolation pizza, you cannot get it back: The restaurant reserves the right to keep it forever, and I have no idea what they'll do with it.
And not to fan the flames of misplaced hope or anything, but according to CBS, 36 Mega Millions tickets did qualify their owners to reap $1 million rewards. Further, another drawing will take place on Friday, this time for a $40 million. Before you swap your stub for this food court 'za, maybe just double check the numbers, I don't know.
We have contacted Villa Italian Kitchen to get you that full list of participating locations, and will update if/when we hear back. Meanwhile, see you in Times Square or LaGuardia (why God why) where we'll be crying on some pizza pillows at the Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen, because we are losers, too.
