We’ve loved Cugini’s for years and have been going since it first opened on Elm. The pizza, while a bit pricey, is consistently fresh and absolutely delicious — truly some of the best around. Service has also generally been good, which is why this experience was so disappointing. Tonight, my grandmother went to pick up pizza on a very cold evening and brought her dog with her. After picking up the order, her car wouldn’t start. The roadside assistance company told her it could take 1–2 hours to help her. Cold and understandably distressed, she went back inside to ask if she could sit quietly in a corner with her dog just until I could get there (20 minutes max) so she wouldn’t freeze. She fully understood that animals aren’t usually allowed and wasn’t looking to stay long. Disappointingly, the owners said no. One of the employees kindly offered to let my grandmother sit in her own car while I was on my way to pick her up — and we’re very grateful for that act of compassion. While I understand policies exist, the situation left us feeling that a bit more empathy could have gone a long way, especially given the circumstances. This experience has made us second-guess returning, which is really disappointing because we’ve always thought of Cugini’s as a warm, community-oriented place.
