Antonio's Pizza, 31 North Pleasant Street, downtown Amherst
Yesterday was a bad day for local iconic restaurants.
Rafters slid closer to the abyss after our Select Board approved a "Letter of Support" for yet another medical marijuana dispensary that wants to locate on their grave and legal notice was published in the venerable Daily Hampshire Gazette of an upcoming auction for the building that houses Antonio's.
Double Yikes.
Anyone who knows anything about downtown Amherst knows Antonio's is The-Little-Train-That-Could of restaurants, even slaying a McDonald's that dared to open up next door.
Bruno Matarazzo, the hardest working man in Amherst prior to his untimely death, opened the business back in the early 1990s when the concept of pizza by the slice was pretty much untried.
According to assessor records the building was purchased from his wife Barbara in 2003 by Reves Amherst Pizza Property LLC. And that company has since expanded Bruno's winning concept to Belchertown, Easthampton, Worcester, Providence R.I. and College Station, Texas.
26 comments:
Larry, I read that notice also and couldn't believe that a company with that cash flow couldn't pay the mortgage!! They own the building apparently so one can't blame the high rent? Would love to know what others think. HBG
Sorry to see the likely "creative destruction" of Capital's arbitrage remove the regeneration of myriad memories of local patrons for both businesses.
I wonder if the seeming resilience of what are now clearly imperial wars in the Mideast and the mushrooming of tensions with Russia and China will make our Happy Valley and the UMass research community a cog in a militarized response to flying off the climatactic cogwheel.
With the amount of open storefronts in Amherst Antonio's won't have a problem if they had to relocate. How about that new development going up at the carriage shops that will have commercial space, that would be a nice little spot for them.
Ralph reed is kidding right? I can't tell but I hope so!
I remember when it housed a Benetton clothing store. The ceiling dates from then.
Quality went downhill while price went up -- the $1 slice became the $2 slice.
And then the war on UMass Students eliminated enough of their captive market for income to drop below projectiond and hence...
Ed can you see all that from maine? Whenever I am in there it is packed.
I thought the pot people were keeping the Rafters and building the dispensary out back.
Ed, as usual you have opinions but no facts.
Memory is that there is a WebCam outside, I don't remember not seeing it there ,nor hearing about it's removal, so I presume it's still there.
Hence were I in Maine, pr Moscow -- or Moscow, Maine -- I could see what I have seen in person "boots on the ground."
Say what you want, Downtown is dying...
/Now as to Rebecca;s location.....
Mr. Reville also owns the name "Antonio's", so say goodbye, folks.
Much like Northampton, people who disagree with the crazy politics refuse to spend money there and add in the begging issue. Death spiral under way as even a small reduction in volume will make these businesses unable to make money. At least you will have pot.
wonder why he didn't sell the place in b-town first before sacrificing his flagship?
Thanks Ed im hoping location, decent food, decent price will keep me employed until I retire. Our slices are half of the cost of Antonio's for the summer..anyway.. I like to spoil town folks like myself.
Rebecca
The more pot the more food ..
It doesnt make sense they didnt pay their bills. Irresponsible.. They are are making the money
Sick has once again shown themself to be a moron unless they are the antonio's accountant. Then he has crossed the fiduciary line....hmmm...I am going with moron.
Everyone can calmost down, it's a small legal matter and business in amherst is great and will continue on. Obviously I will not divulge sources but Antonios isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Well it wouldn't be a problem at all if he had paid his mortgage so obviously he didn't pay his mortgage so I don't think that's a Mindless accusation whether or not he bails himself out and takes care of his death at this moment he didn't pay his bills which is irresponsible
I am sad that local landmark businesses like Antonio's and Rafters that have millions of memories attached are displaced without concern for social continuity, subjective senses of place, and personal rituals in the larger historical context of accelerating technological and geological change.
I prefer a strong "town" in the town vs. gown context, and these days the working class need to be protected from the upper-middle class and their neo-feudalist new order, its international compradors, a growing facet of "education" as a business rather than an end in itself. One can see which way the wind blows now that "working class" now requires the "white" modifier in many liberal media and academic discourses.
I have two succesful businesses like I tell my tenants take care of the essentials first. Don't buy a 60 inch Tv then neglect to pay your rent. Banking local is good idea these national banks have no onecthst can make a decision to help people if they need it. I don't care if you think I'm a moron I am past the point in my life where I let mindless insults,bother me.
We had a ton of fun with Rob and his crew from Antonios at the Taste. Im sure it will all be worked through. Downtown wouldnt be the sane without them but I have complete faith they are not going anywhere.
Rebecca
Cardboard with sauce.
wait can anyone confirm that antonios is either staying open or closing?????? if its closing i will be a heartbroken umass student
They wont close
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