Dozens Line Up In Freezing Cold For Year Of Free Pizza

(Wednesday, December 31, 2008) - How far would you go for free pizza?

About 75 people donned their long johns and huddled in fleece blankets, some even camping in tents overnight despite single-digit temperatures, in the hopes of winning free food for a year from the new Toppers Pizza restaurant at Farwell Ave. and Kenilworth Place on Wednesday morning.

To celebrate Wednesday's opening of the first Toppers Pizza in the city of Milwaukee, the restaurant promised free food for a year to the first 50 people in line by the store's opening at 10:30 a.m.

First in line was Adam Rohde, a 20-year-old Milwaukee School of Engineering student who lives near the new restaurant. He and five friends braved freezing temperatures for the promise of Toppers' "cheesy awesomeness."

Toppers had a digital timer hung in the window, counting down the seconds until the big moment.

"We've been here for 17 hours," Rohde said. "I saw the lights go up for this new Toppers, and ever since they got the timer up, I knew I'd be here."

In line with Rohde since 5:45 p.m. Tuesday: Chad Halvorsen, a 24-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate; Matt Stefan, a 22-year-old MSOE student; Andrew Walls, a 21-year-old UWM student; Jenny Oakes, a 21-year-old UW-Madison student; and her boyfriend, Tyler Thorp, a 21-year-old Concordia University student.

All had eaten countless times at the Toppers Pizza in Madison. Toppers also has stores in Wauwatosa, Franklin and Greenfield.

Toppers employees came out several times at night to hand out Topperstix breadsticks, cookies and coffee - or let the crowd come in to use the bathroom.

"They've been super nice," Halvorsen said of the Toppers employees. "Except for letting us in early."

View all Topper's Pizza Press Releases

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