A beloved Elk Grove Village institution will soon shutter after more than 40 years in business, leaving customers in mourning and the owners wondering what is next. Vi Nguyen has the story.
A beloved Elk Grove Village institution will soon shutter after more than 40 years in business, leaving customers in mourning and the owners wondering what is next.
Munchie’s Pizza has been in business for decades, but it will soon close its doors after it was purchased by village officials late last year.
According to the owner, the agreement is in place for the restaurant to vacate the building by Oct. 1, bringing to an end a long-time connection to the community and devastating its customers.
“When I was pregnant with my son, I craved lasagna and Italian sausage, (and here) it tasted like my great aunt’s from Italy,” Lisa Ford said.
“In Chicago, it’s easy to find pizza, but you get it by the slice at Munchie’s and it’s good,” Darren Oakes added.
According to Elk Grove Village’s mayor, the owner of the building called officials last year asking if they’d be interested in buying and redeveloping the property, which houses Munchie’s and two other businesses.
An agreement was reached to buy the property, with village officials offering relocation assistance if Munchie’s wanted to stay in business.
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So far, the restaurant does not have any plans to relocate, leaving customers scrambling to get their last slices of pizza.
“Support your local pizzeria. If you like them, keep them in business and keep them going,” Perry Ohlson said.
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Ohlson said that the restaurant treats him like family and that employees always want to know how things are going every time he arrives.
“They even ask about my family ever since my mom died a couple years ago, so it’s always nice to come up and have people that care about you,” he said.
The restaurant has not yet announced its final closing date, but will be open through this weekend for those wanting to grab a slice of pizza.
