Why Texas Pizzeria Charges $1,000 For a Side of Ranch

Cane Rosso is like a lot of family pizzerias: A typical pie costs about $15, a sandwich costs about $12 and a focaccia appetizer costs about $7.

But a side of ranch dressing for crust dipping? That will cost you a $1,000.

Owner Jay Jerrier explained in a recent interview that he strives to keep his Dallas business "authentically Neapolitan," meaning he's “stay[ing] far away from the kind of Midwest-American tradition.”

“For some reason ranch dressing on hot, melty cheese just seems weird to me,” he said. “Ranch just seems like such an excess ... to me, I just never thought the two went together.”

He explained that when he first opened in 2011, he noticed a number of customers requesting ranch so they could use it for their pizza crusts, something he claims is a Midwest phenomenon.

“I've worked in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and I think this is pretty much the Ranch Belt,” he said. “From Texas straight on up through.”

So Jerrier decided as a joke to display a bottle of ranch dressing inside a case on a wall, with a sign reading: “Side of delicious ranch dressing, $1,000.”

Images of the case eventually made their way to the Internet, sparking a somewhat heated debate over the restaurant's decision to price out the dressing.

Image source: Imgur user Brostash

Unfazed by the surprise debate, Jerrier stands by his business’ decision to lead customers away from mixing the dressing with pizza.

“It just kind of turned into a joke,” he said. “OK, if people are going to keep asking for ranch, I thought it'd be funny if I could find one of those ‘in case of emergency break glass’ things.”

And it worked. After a few weeks, customers wised up to Jerrier’s feelings on the issue and stopped asking for ranch.

As for the supposed online controversy generated by the Reddit image: The pizzeria owner said it’s just a case of regional differences.

“It was pretty funny how people did take it really seriously and were super offended,” he said. “I guess it's the Midwest. They love them some ranch.”

(H/T: Business Insider)

You can read the full interview here.

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