Varsity Pizza Open with New Hours

By Benjamin Schiller

Syracuse, N.Y. — For the first time since Thanksgiving break, Varsity, on Marshall Street, is operating under normal “pandemic” hours. Owner Jerry Dellas says reopening in the middle of the pandemic wasn’t easy. 

“There wasn’t enough business here. Plus, I didn’t have enough employees to work because of Covid,” said Dellas. 

Since last March, Dellas says that varsity hasn’t received as much income as in a normal year, like most establishments on Marshall Street. 

“During the year, we are down more than 50-percent. it could be as much as 70-percent, especially without the dome events. So right now, Varsity is on track, hopefully, as a break-even – not making any money,” said Dellas. 

Dellas says that his restaurants, Varsity, and Faegan’s – also on Marshall street, took advantage of the PPP loans. These loans helped Faegan’s reopen Tuesday night for the first time in three months. regardless, Dellas believes that his restaurants won’t make a profit if SU allows fans at the two home basketball games next week. 

“For us to be profitable, it really needs the general public to be going to the game for us to open up past 8 PM, said Dellas. 

With many restaurants on Marshall Street reopening in recent weeks, Dellas is optimistic that the future will look brighter for his off-campus lunch and dinner spots. 

“For us, I am anticipating when we get to September of 2021, we are moving forward and we should be at 75 to 100 percent occupancy,” said Dellas.