The mayor of Philadelphia hopes to pull off one of the wackiest promotional stunts of all time by luring Pope Francis into a fast-food joint with the promise of a free sandwich.
Mayor Michael Nutter said a newly-opened dine-in version of the locally-revered Wawa convenience stores will serve the Pontiff the hoagie of his choice when he visits the City of Brotherly Love next week.
Philly.com reports the betting is that if Francis actually takes up the offer, he’ll be bowing to his Italian roots.
Nutter made his surprise announcement at the shop’s grand opening, which was feted by a brass trio from the Philadelphia Orchestra playing the National Anthem and the theme from "Rocky."
"I'm pleased to announce that we expect to serve Pope Francis a Wawa hoagie of his choice," the Democratic mayor said.
"I don't know what he likes, but he can have anything he wants. I'm sure the marketing team will figure out an appropriately named hoagie after Pope Francis."
No word from the Vatican yet as to whether Francis will accept the freebie, but there’s a wide variety to choose from, including paninis, focaccias, quesadillas and chicken sandwiches.
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