You got it, you lay it off, you still got it…
For most folks, Pitch restaurant critic Charles Ferruzza has been something of an institution at the local alternative paper. For upwards of a decade, Ferruzza – formerly with the Johnson County Sun – has been dishing up restaurant reviews and related stories about the Cowtown’s dining scene.
“There was never a week that I wasn’t writing,” Ferruzza says. “And I was glad to have (still) had the gig.”
But as insiders know, Ferruzza took a major financial hit and was laid off (along with Night Ranger columnist Jen Chen) by the struggling newsweekly 17 months ago.
However, because he continued to write weekly reviews and daily blog posts, most readers of the Pitch had no reason to suspect that he – like hundreds of local print media refugees – had fallen on hard times.
“I wasn’t getting interviews and I kept thinking, ‘What’s wrong?’ ” Ferruzza muses. “And I kept re-writing my resume. It was very disheartening. It’s like, you work all your life and then nobody wants you.”
Just as Ferruzza’s health insurance was about to run out this past month, he made a tentative deal with another local publication. A deal that had he taken it (as he was planning to) would have left the Pitch high and dry.
So they hired him back!
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have both oars in the water,” Ferruzza says. “I am going back to the Pitch…I’m just happy to have a full-time job – I can’t even tell you.”
Ferruzza’s reaction to be rehired by the Pitch: “I was surprised and delighted at the same time. But more surprised.”
The bottom line on the state of
Ed
Glad he’s staying. Love Charles’ reviews, love the Pitch.
Mark Kind
Best news in months! Congrats, Charles.
Tom MU Fan
Charles is THE BEST writer in Kansas City…he knows the food scene and the restaurant owners, he is really a great person and understands various cuisines, cultures and food history…especially Kansas City restaurant history. Congrats to Charles!!!!
Rainbow Man
The Pitch made a great move when they ran a front page article marginalizing and slamming Boulevard Brewing Company, which has more cult followers than Jehova and Reverend Moon combined. That was the beginning of the downward spiral. Anyway, someone up there obviously put the crackpipe down and brought Charles back.
I love Charles’ columns. They are absolutely the best. I miss the way The Pitch used to be.
jojo
I always trusted charles opinions because he
always was fair to the restauarnats and went
back several times.
He was spot on most of the time predicting
what woudl be successful.
.
I wish himwell…and yes the pitch has gone
downhill. I loved some of the investigative
articles the alternative papers wrote in kc…
but they’re not what they used to be.
DiggityDawg
Glad to see he’s fully employed again. His column is about the only thing I read in The Pitch anymore.