YES! We now have CROUTONS!

I make snap judgments, rash decisions, and impulsive purchases, even.

When I saw this sign in the window of the North End’s beloved Mama’s Pizza on Rice Street, my first reaction was to assess it as a marketing claim. I concluded that it is not a strong claim. “We now have croutons” isn’t as strong as “we use three pounds of mozzarella cheese on every dish” (which they pretty much do!).

I thought, “how quaint,” lamented the challenges small businesses face in marketing in a down economy, and passed by.

The next day, the sign was gone.

“A short-lived marketing campaign,” I concluded.

A week later, the sign was back up.

I finally walked into Mama’s and asked about the crouton sign.

It turns out, the sign is to alert regular customers when the restaurant has made a “fresh” batch of croutons, because they are not always available.

I had a nice chuckle at myself.