You know the only way Cory ever sets foot in Montoni’s is if his dad has summoned him, and it’s never good. Funky is charged up about something. So far, his plan to “beat the economy” (bad, bad economy!) has entailed closing all other branches and curtailing hours at the last remaining one. This on top of already using cheap, poor-quality ingredients and probably paying his employees squat. No wonder Cory is predisposed to hate whatever’s coming next.
Did everybody have a nice weekend? Good. Welcome back to the dreary hell that is Westview, Ohio. Ed Crankshaft Funky Winkerbean sits in his office at the counter working on his latest “can’t miss” marketing strategy: assigning each day of the week its own failed economy theme…”Wealth Tax Wednesday…Tax Burden Thursday…Federal Reserve Fridays…yeah, that’ll get ’em in here to eat our lousy pizza!
Harry’s perplexed look in panel 2 is not a response to Holly’s punchline; rather, he’s trying to figure out how she makes her arms do that.
You never know when you’ll get the urge for a slice of Montoni’s Gazpacho Pizza…good thing they’re open til 2 AM (4 AM on the weekends)…
Open til two AM? Four AM? Must be an Ohio thing. The bars where I live close at 3 AM, and that’s on the weekends. Ye gods, who runs Montoni’s at night? Who patronizes Montoni’s after midnight? Doesn’t Westview roll up the sidewalks after 10? At least it explains the poor “lighting” in this strip: Funky and Crazy are having this conversation at 2:30 am (Crazy Harry, because he’s crazy, wears his postal uniform all the time).
I find Funky’s comment in panel 3 to be telling: “Hopefully, I’ve done what I can to help Montoni’s weather the downturn.” Sounds like he’s not convinced he’s done everything he can. “We’ll cut back hours and hopefully that’ll be enough…hopefully I won’t have to do anything else.” Hope is not a strategy, pizza man.
Holly, please smack him before he gets to “balls”.
Nevermind. Les hasn’t got any.
Um. I’m not Italian, but a lot of Italians I know enjoy their Sunday dinner very early evening/late afternoon. Opening Montoni’s at five? Great business move. Instead of cutting back hours…how about letting some “staff” go? Here’s my list of everyone who works or has sought employment at Montoni’s:
Let me know if I forgot anybody. And what’s with these two leering at each other in panel three? Per favore, hope they’re not gonna go at it right there on the counter…
Son of Stuck Funky 
