Why is Brooklyn's Lenny's Pizza shutting down? Foodies mourn closure of Saturday Night Fever joint

Brooklyn's Lenny's Pizza is closing its doors to its customers permanently after almost seventy years of serving delicious food. Following the announcement, New Yorkers have been mourning the shutdown of the famous pizza staple from the 1977 musical Saturday Night Fever.

On Saturday, February 18, songs from the musical drama Saturday Night Fever played outside the pizza outlet while inside, the owner, Frank Giordano, counted down his last set of pies. The shop announced beforehand that they will be closing their business on Sunday, February 19, for good.

The 77-year-old owner of Lenny's Pizza said he was ready to hang up his hat and close the pizza joint in the process. Giordano shared:

“I made all my life in this place. I've been here 40 years, and now I wanna retire."

The small pizza joint gained popularity after being featured in the 1977 movie starring John Travolta. Since then, lots of parties have been held in the pizzeria. Travolta himself also celebrated his birthday in the shop in February 2018.

People who tried pizza and other foods from Lenny’s Pizza have said that the food there was up to its name and described the taste as fantastic. Several Bensonhurst residents have said that this pizza joint is their favorite pizzeria. Customers even praised their sandwiches alongside the pizza.

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Netizens sad over the closure of Lenny's Pizza in Bensonhurst

On the last day of its service, the line in front of Lenny’s Pizza went out the door and reached down the block. Many customers who had been visiting the food joint for a long time waited to make sure they got to say their goodbyes and have a final slice.

Irrespective of generation, people of every age flocked to Lenny's Pizza to get their fill on Saturday. One customer, Daniel Mondello, said:

"I love the square pizza. They taste really good. And whenever I come back home from school, I ask my mom, 'Mom, can we go to Lenny's?'"

Another customer, Annie Reagan, said that they love the fact that kids these days love Lenny's Pizza so much. Matthew Wolf, another pizza lover, said that one slice from Lenny’s was never enough. One had to have two slices.

John Luccagse, a resident of Staten Island, said:

“We had birthday parties here as children. It's a staple of the community.”

Frank Giordano’s daughter, Josephine, shared that her father decided to retire, saying it was time for him to spend time with his family. She said:

"It’s bittersweet to inform you guys that we are closing our doors after so many years. My dad is finally retiring at 77 years old.”

Josephine and Frank Giordano (Image via Gabriele Holtermann)

In the movie Saturday Night Fever, Tony Manero, John Travolta’s character, ordered two slices of pizza from Bensonhurst's Lenny's Pizza and stacked one slice on top of another before eating them together.

John Travolta with his wife Kelly Preston at Lenny's Pizza in June 2018 (Image via Getty Images)

Travolta returned to Lenny’s Pizza in Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst in June 2018, almost 40 years after his musical came out, making the pizza staple famous. At the event, John Travolta had his late wife, Kelly Preston, by his side.

The couple danced to the film’s best-selling soundtrack, Bee Gee’s music. They also tried slices from Lenny’s Pizza and were cheered on by an ocean of admirers who gathered along 86th Street.