When Pizza Night Was A Family Event
Back in the 1960s, going out for pizza was something special. Families piled into station wagons, squeezed into wooden booths, and waited for steaming pies to arrive. Long before delivery apps and national chains took over, neighborhood pizza parlors were the places to be. Remember any of these forgotten favorites?
Shakey's Pizza Parlor: Sacramento, California
Founded in Sacramento in 1954, Shakey's became one of America's most recognizable pizza parlors. Families loved the old-fashioned atmosphere, live banjo music, and freshly baked pizza. Although Shakey's still operates in some markets, many of its original neighborhood locations have disappeared, taking countless childhood memories with them.
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin, Getty Images
Pizza Haven: Seattle, Washington
Seattle families once knew Pizza Haven as the place to go for an easy, affordable dinner. Founded in 1958, it became a regional favorite long before pizza delivery was everywhere. Its familiar neighborhood locations helped make pizza a regular family treat. Eventually, the once-popular chain disappeared.
Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA, Wikimedia Commons
Lenny's Pizza: Brooklyn, New York
Opened in 1953, Lenny's became a Bensonhurst institution long before John Travolta made it famous in Saturday Night Fever. Families stopped by for slices, teenagers gathered after school, and neighbors knew the familiar storefront. When Lenny's finally closed in 2023, Brooklyn lost a genuine piece of its history.
Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons
John's Pizzeria: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago's John's Pizzeria opened in 1957, when a large cheese pizza cost around $1.50. Its thin-crust pies became neighborhood favorites, especially among families who preferred their pizza cut into squares. The Bucktown institution survived for nearly seven decades before finally closing in June 2023.
Shannon McGee from Huntsville, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Frank & Helen's Pizzeria: University City, Missouri
For generations, Frank & Helen's was where St. Louis-area families gathered over pizza and broasted chicken. Opened in 1956, the restaurant became a neighborhood fixture, welcoming everyone from schoolchildren to longtime regulars. Its December 2024 closure ended nearly 70 years of family dinners and local memories.
Dale Cruse from San Francisco, CA, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Original Pizza: Newport Beach, California
Established in 1963, Original Pizza was a beloved fixture on Newport Beach's Balboa Peninsula. Its simple menu and unpretentious atmosphere made it popular with locals and vacationing families. When the original restaurant closed in 2017, longtime customers lost one of the few remaining pieces of old Newport Beach.
Charlie's Pizzeria: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Charlie's Pizzeria became a Northeast Philadelphia favorite during the 1950s. Families loved its familiar atmosphere and distinctive pizzas, which made the restaurant a neighborhood tradition for decades. The original Roosevelt Boulevard location finally closed in 2022, although the family continued operating another Charlie's elsewhere in the city.
amanderson2, Wikimedia Commons
Pizza & Pipes: Santa Clara, California
Imagine going out for pizza and being entertained by a gigantic theater organ. That was the attraction at Cap'ns Galley Pizza & Pipes, which began in 1968. Families came for the pizza but stayed for the music. Its once-popular California restaurants eventually disappeared, leaving behind some wonderfully unusual memories.
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Roger Wollstadt, Wikimedia Commons
Pizza Villa: Richardson, Texas
Opening in 1960, Pizza Villa quickly became a neighborhood institution in Richardson, just outside Dallas. Its old-fashioned pizzas and familiar surroundings kept families coming back for generations. The restaurant remained a reminder of suburban life before giant pizza chains dominated the market. It closed at the end of 2013.
Justin Henry, Wikimedia Commons
Cafe Pizzaria: Bloomington, Indiana
Established in 1953, Cafe Pizzaria became a favorite among Indiana University students and Bloomington families. Its hearty pizzas and welcoming atmosphere helped it survive for more than 70 years. Three generations of the Webb family eventually operated the restaurant before its unexpected closure in August 2024.
Bart Everson, Wikimedia Commons
Famous Luigi's: Washington, D.C.
Founded in 1943, Famous Luigi's was already a Washington institution when the 1960s arrived. Couples stopped there after movies, while families discovered pizza that tasted different from anything they made at home. The restaurant closed in 2013, ending seven decades of Italian-American dining in the nation's capital.
Tony's Famous Tomato Pies: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tony's Famous Tomato Pies opened in Philadelphia's Mayfair neighborhood in 1951. Known for its distinctive tomato pies, the restaurant became a local institution where generations gathered for casual meals. Its original Sackett Street location closed in 2022, although the founding family's pizza tradition continued elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
Gulliver's Pizza: Chicago, Illinois
Gulliver's opened in 1965 and became famous for more than its pan pizza. Its enormous dining room was packed with antiques, giving families something to admire while they waited for dinner. The original Chicago restaurant closed in 2022, but its Oak Brook location continued carrying the Gulliver's name.
Aurélien Lemasson-Théobald, Unsplash
Pizza Casa: Lakewood, Washington
Founded in 1958, Pizza Casa was the sort of restaurant where regulars knew exactly what to expect. Checkered tablecloths, Italian music, homemade recipes, and friendly service made every visit feel familiar. Families celebrated birthdays there for generations. After 65 years, the restaurant served its final meals in July 2023.
Kenneth Allen , Wikimedia Commons
Italian Moon: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Italian Moon first opened in February 1965 and became a familiar gathering place for Grand Forks residents. Its combination of pizza and Mexican food made it a little different from the typical neighborhood pizzeria. After 60 years of feeding families, the restaurant finally closed in June 2025.
Granato's Pizzeria: Chicago, Illinois
Long before deep-dish pizza became Chicago's calling card, Granato's was helping introduce residents to the dish. Established during the 1930s, it was considered one of Chicago's pioneering pizzerias. By 1961, the restaurant was gone, displaced by redevelopment. Its history reminds us how quickly a neighborhood favorite can disappear.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Sal's Pizzeria: Brooklyn, New York
Sal's opened in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens neighborhood in 1957, becoming one of the city's classic neighborhood slice shops. It belonged to an era when families could visit a familiar storefront and order uncomplicated, freshly baked pizza. After more than six decades, Sal's closed in 2023.
Betty Longbottom, Wikimedia Commons
Frank The Pizza King: Englewood, Colorado
Frank Krascek took over a small Englewood pizza shop in 1961 and gave it an unforgettable name: Frank the Pizza King. His thin-crust pizzas became a Colorado tradition, drawing loyal customers for generations. When the South Broadway restaurant closed in May 2025, longtime diners were devastated.
Geoffreyrabbit, Wikimedia Commons
Johnny's Pizzeria: Brooklyn, New York
Opened by John and Lilia Miniaci in 1968, Johnny's became a neighborhood favorite in Brooklyn's Sunset Park. Generations of families visited its Fifth Avenue storefront, making it part of everyday neighborhood life. When Johnny's closed in January 2024, loyal customers lined up for one final slice.
Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
Gondolier: Boulder, Colorado
Boulder's Gondolier opened in 1960, becoming a favorite among families and college students. Pizza, homemade pasta, and affordable meals kept customers returning for decades. Its famous all-you-can-eat spaghetti specials arrived later, adding to the restaurant's reputation. The longtime Pearl Street location closed in 2012 after 52 years.
Peachyeung316, Wikimedia Commons
Grand Apizza: New Haven, Connecticut
Founded in 1955, Grand Apizza was a beloved neighborhood restaurant in New Haven's Fair Haven section. Its traditional pizza attracted generations of loyal customers, becoming part of the area's Italian-American heritage. When the restaurant closed in January 2024, it ended nearly seven decades of neighborhood pizza history.
Morningtown Cafe: Seattle, Washington
Seattle's Morningtown Cafe opened in 1969 and offered something different from the traditional family pizza parlor. Run by a young counterculture collective, it served homemade pizza in an unconventional setting. Its reputation for authentic Neapolitan-style pies made it a local curiosity, capturing Seattle's changing restaurant culture during the late 1960s.
AxoIkerOficialXD, Wikimedia Commons
Ken's Pizza: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Ken Selby opened Ken's Pizza in Tulsa in 1961, eventually building a regional chain with hundreds of locations. Its family-friendly restaurants introduced countless Midwestern and Southern customers to pizza nights out. The original chain later faded as the restaurant business evolved, although Selby's later creation, Mazzio's, continued his legacy.
Paul Sableman, Wikimedia Commons
Big Momma's Pizza: Seattle, Washington
Opening in 1969, Big Momma's Pizza and Outrageous Taco Co. was part of Seattle's growing alternative restaurant scene. Its unusual name reflected the changing tastes of younger diners who wanted something different from conventional pizza parlors. Although less traditional than other neighborhood favorites, it became part of the city's colorful pizza history.
Where The Whole Neighborhood Gathered
Pizza Haven, Shakey's, Lenny's, and dozens of neighborhood favorites made going out for pizza feel like an occasion. There were no smartphones at the table, no delivery-app notifications, and no rush to get home. Families sat together, shared stories, and enjoyed an evening out. Sometimes, the pizza was only half the reason for going.
The Pizza Parlors May Be Gone, But The Memories Remain
Today's pizza restaurants might offer more choices and faster service, but something about the old neighborhood parlors is difficult to replace. They were places where families celebrated birthdays, teenagers went on first dates, and parents treated the kids after a long week. The restaurants may have closed, but those memories haven't disappeared. Which one would you bring back?
Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons
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