Posted on Thu, May. 08, 2008

Customers waiting hours for 23-cent pizzas in Ohio

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND --

Customers are waiting as long as 2 1/2 hours for cheap pizza as Papa John's makes good on its apology to Cleveland Cavaliers fans.

Eighty-six stores in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Youngstown are selling large, one-topping pizzas for 23 cents on Thursday.

Near Cleveland, people stood wrapped in blankets outside a store in Westlake and the line was two blocks long in University Heights. Police stood nearby to make sure people didn't get unruly.

Each location is prepared to sell more than 900 pies.

The Louisville, Ky.-based company agreed to the deal after a franchisee in Washington, D.C., made T-shirts calling star LeBron James a "crybaby."

The shirts referred to James' complaints about hard fouls during a playoff series with the Washington Wizards.

The 23-cent price of a pizza is an homage to James' jersey number.