Pizza's on her: Woman treats Aurorans to $1,500 worth of Luigi's

Dozens of people got free pizzas Friday afternoon from Luigi's Pizza and Fun Center in Aurora, thanks to a woman who wanted to help the community and Luigi's during the COVID-19 crisis.

Katie Graves used her federal stimulus money, plus some she saved for a vacation, to buy $1,750 worth of frozen pizzas and pizza kits, said the restaurant's owner, Bill Poss.

“I am just stunned,” he said.

Poss has not met Graves; she made the offer to a restaurant employee via Facebook.

Graves had seen a Facebook Live video Poss posted a couple weeks ago, where he explained the financial status of his business. It included a frank discussion about how he didn't have the money to refund room-rental deposits at that time, how he was trying to refinance his house to get money to keep the business going, and how he had applied for federal and state loans, but hadn't received anything at that time.

Graves was part of the team handing out 12-inch frozen pizzas and 7-inch pizza-making kits, on a first-come, first-served basis that started at 4 p.m. Poss estimated the donation will cover costs for about 100 customers.

“I just wanted to give people pizza,” Graves said.

“There is good in people!” Poss said.

Poss has owned the business for 39 years. It started in 1953 in a spot on the east side of Aurora.

The restaurant drew lots of attention in February 2019, when Aurora police used it as a command post during the response to the shootings at the Henry Pratt Co. a block away. Poss fed hundreds of officers that day, and threw a thank-you party several days later for first-responders.