Officials at Papa John's -- which is getting overwhelmed by customers seeking to cash in on the 23-cent pizza deal -- said at about 4 p.m. today that stores expect to be able to sell pies through the dinner rush.

Earlier this afternoon, the chain warned that stores could run out of ingredients by dinnertime.

Officials later huddled and determined that ``we are hours away from running out of product'' and stores expect to stay open through dinnertime, said Ashley Mead, an area spokeswoman for Papa John's.

She said some stores might have enough ingredients to stay open until closing time at 10 p.m., while others might run out shortly after the dinner rush.

The participating stores were prepared to make more than 75,000 pizzas today, Mead said.

The promotion is an apology to Cavaliers fans for a Washington, D.C.-area promotion that included T-shirts portraying Cavs star LeBron James as a ''Crybaby.''

By this afternoon, several people reported becoming frustrated by inability to reach stores via phone or having to wait more than 90 minutes.

Kelly Scalf, an assistant manager at a competing pizza shop, said he went to Papa John's on State Road in Cuyahoga Falls at about 1:30 p.m. to cash in on the offer, but gave up after seeing that the line wrapped around the building.

``This is crazy,'' he said. ``There's got to be at least 200 people.''

``They're making it good for our business,'' he said. ``People are going to start calling us.''

At the start of pizza palooza, just before 11 a.m., 150 stood in line outside the Papa John's in Akron's Wallhaven neighborhood.

The first pizza sold there in the company's much-salivated-over 23-cent promotion went to Geneva King, 62, who was first in line at 8:30 a.m.

''Where can you go today to get a meal for 23 cents, unless it's sardines?'' said King, a retired nursing assistant who lives in Akron.

Papa John's 23-cent pizza deal is limited to carryout orders. Walk-in and phoned orders are eligible.

Just after 11 a.m., Akron police reported traffic was at a standstill on southbound Route 8 — owing to drivers trying to exit at Buchtel Avenue/Carroll Street to get to the East Market Street store.

Cars were backed up on Route 8 to the Tallmadge Avenue exit.

Niki Kavadas-Bealer, manager of Theo's Bar & Grill on Massillon Road in Springfield Township, heard of the hour-plus waits outside Papa John's stores and decided to offer 23-cent beers (domestic only) from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight. The Cavs play the Celtics tonight in the second game of the second round of the playoffs.

``We feel bad people are waiting... if they're irritated they can come in for a drink.''

The Wallhaven store borrowed some of those partitions that banks use for people waiting in line. Walk-in customers way outnumbered those who called ahead.

Two Akron moms, Erin Dennison and Laura Rogers, used the opportunity to cater a preschool party — at the principal's suggestion.

''Hopefully two pizzas will be enough,'' said Erin Dennison, 25. She pointed to her son, Nathan, 21 months, in a stroller. ''We're hoping he counts for one.'' (He didn't.)

As the moms waited for their cheese pizzas, Nathan repeated: ''Pizza, pizza, pizza.''

Rogers' son, 3-month-old Cayden, slept through the whole thing.

The store started the day with seven people working, up from the usual two, all wearing maroon Cavaliers ''Rise Up!'' T-shirts.

''We're looking of upwards of 2,000 pies,'' said Jim Vonspiegel, assistant manager. That's up from 100 for a typical Thursday.

The store started with 80 pounds of pepperoni on hand, up from usual 20, and 450 trays of dough.

Workers folded more than 1,000 boxes before the opening, and were relying on a huge two-tier conveyor oven to get the pies cooked in 6 1/2 minutes each.

By the afternoon, several people reported becoming frustrated by inability to reach stores via phone or having to wait more than 90 minutes.

Initially, just Northeast Ohio stores signed on to the mea culpa. Stores in the Toledo and Columbus areas then jumped on board.