Donald Trump’s love story with pizza entered its latest chapter as the president quietly opened a pizza parlor at Trump Tower in New York City.
Trump Pizza is “where New York tradition meets Italian craftsmanship,” according to a Tuesday post on the Trump Tower Instagram page. It also makes Trump the first known president to own a pizza parlor while in office.
The new pizza parlor, first pointed out by Emily Sundberg in her “Feed Me” Substack, appears to be part of a recently completed renovation of Trump Cafe, one of the restaurants located within Trump Tower. The oven in the Instagram photo showcases the signature white marble and gold aesthetic that Trump has become known for over the years, as well as several of the restaurant’s offerings: pepperoni, a sausage and pepper combination pie, and what appears to be a classic Margherita with tomato, mozzarella, and basil.
While a full menu following the upgrades is not yet available online, Business Insider has previously reported dining options at Trump Tower are pricey — and a little lackluster.
The Cafe was closed at the time of publication. A receptionist at Trump’s 45 Wine and Whiskey Bar told Business Insider that they did not know the cost of a slice at the Cafe.
Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For decades, pizza has been a focal point of Trump’s career and political campaigns; indeed, pizza and politics have long gone slice-in-hand.
Many politicians, Trump included, have made campaign stops at local pizza parlors in an effort to sway blue-collar voters. They have regularly made headlines when being caught eating a slice with a knife and fork or being seen delivering pies to hardworking civil servants.
On several occasions dating back nearly 30 years, Trump has publicly declared his love for the tasty Italian offering, including in a 1995 Pizza Hut commercial in which Trump and his then-wife, Ivana, negotiated a deal to eat their pizza the “wrong way” (crust first) to promote new stuffed crust options at the franchise.
However, his preferred method for enjoying a cheesy slice remains unclear. After being lambasted on The Daily Show for stacking several slices on top of each other and cutting individual bites away with a fork, the food journalism outlet Serious Eats reported that Trump said he preferred no crust at all.
“This way you can take the top of the pizza off, you’re not just eating the crust,” Serious Eats reported he said. “I like not to eat the crust so that we keep the weight down at least as good as possible.”
But, no matter how you slice it, it was just a matter of time before Trump had a pizza stone to call his own.