Channelside’s only Pizzeria
After three years of living with post 9/11 respiratory problems, Rick Drury could no longer work as a New York City Paramedic. In 2004, he moved with his wife, Jessica, and son, Ryan, to Lutz, Florida near Ricks parents’ home. He found the damp, cleaner air made him feel better. Lutz is 15 miles north of Tampa.
But Rick missed his job in New York City and missed home, not to mention the pizza. When he was not busy on calls, he would love to try new pizza places from all over the 5 boroughs of New York City. Rick had a real passion for New York pizza. Rather than sulk about the changes, he decided to recreate a little of New York in Tampa’s Channelside Entertainment Complex.
His Pizzeria & Restaurant opened August 6, 2006.
Precinct Pizza is Channelside’s only pizzeria, and has more than just pizza. The large menu offers delicious appetizers like the Fireman’s Wild Wings, Fender Bender Chicken Tenders, and their signature item, the Greenwich Garlic Knots. They have great salad combinations that are popular all over town. The large menu includes appetizers, heroes, pizza’s, pastas, burgers, calzones, rolls, desserts, beer, and wine, all with an emergency services theme. The restaurant is adorned with many authentic signs, badges, artwork, emergency equipment and murals that reflect the feel of New York. The Precinct Pizza delivery vehicle even looks like a NYC emergency vehicle.
“There’s a lot of buzz in town about this restaurant”, Rick said before it’s opening in 2006. “I think its going to fit into Channelside perfectly.”
Born in Yonkers, New York; Rick said he loved being a Paramedic in New York, even after the September 11th attacks. Rick was on his way to work that Tuesday when he saw the first plane hit the World Trade Center. He was getting into his vehicle at work when the second plane hit. Rick called Jessica and told her to put the TV on. Jessica watched the news in horror knowing that Rick would be going down there.
Fourteen hours later, Rick returned home to a frightened Jessica. “I could smell the ash and debris on him from two rooms away”, Jessica would later say.
Rick was hired to work in the New York City Emergency Medical Services in August of 2001, just one month before 9/11. “We all raced down there,” Rick said. “It seemed like most people walked out on their own, or they did not come out at all.” Rick spent fourteen hours at Ground Zero on 9/11, & then went on to spend three, 24 hour shifts at Ground Zero with the rescue and recovery effort.
But like many of the responders who were there, his lungs suffered. He had repeated episodes of pneumonia over the next year. His shortness of breath lingered, and by 2004 he felt that it may impair his ability to do his job to the best of his ability. Too many buildings in New York are high rises with no elevators, which means a lot of stair climbing. Not good for someone with a history of breathing problems.
The fitness requirements in Florida are different, with less stairs and high rises. He tried working as a Florida Paramedic, but the slower pace was just not for him. In New York, Rick’s ambulance shift was in South Jamaica, on the overnight shift. His shift on his ambulance was the busiest in all of New York City, and saw the most patients who had violent injuries. It was too difficult to go from that, to primarily routine transports in Florida. Suddenly, the restaurant business made a lot of sense. One night on a slow shift, he came up with his restaurant concept. After consulting with his wife Jessica, they agreed to give it a shot.
After opening in the Channelside Entertainment Complex, the restaurant became instantly popular. Rick needed Jessica’s help in running the restaurant almost from the start. Sales were higher than expected, and things were going well.
Precinct Pizza’s success is due in part to using the best cheeses available, a carefully crafted marinara recipe, delicious Hormel meats, and the freshest veggies available purchased locally. Precinct Pizza makes dough from scratch each day. Some of their dough ingredients include triple filtered water, the highest quality flour available, the best all natural Italian oils, and 100% pure honey. The oven used is a brick oven that rotates to ensure an excellent, even bake every time.
Precinct Pizza is located in the Tampa Port Authority complex. Many true New Yorkers come in all the time from the cruise ships that dock here and challenge the “authenticity” of Precinct Pizza’s food. But they all leave saying they were glad they stopped in, & that iit is just like home.
Precinct Pizza’s popularity is proven by its sales, which are nearly four times the national average for a pizzeria.
(Contributing writer, Sharon Ginn, Tampa Bay Times)
