A beloved Bay Area pizza shop owner shocked fans after announcing that he’s closing his doors after more than 10 years and going into the frozen pizza business exclusively.
Jon Darsky, owner of San Francisco Del Popolo pizza, thanked the city and all who visited his restaurant over the years before explaining that, after much consideration, he’s decided that the best path forward is to close the restaurant following service Friday night.
Darsky shared details of his decision in a previous message posted on Instagram.
The pizzeria — located at 855 Bush Street — isn’t shutting down for some of the usual reasons other businesses in the state have closed, like the insanely high cost to live and operate in California, but instead because the owner said he wants to change the way people think about frozen pies.
Darsky started the business in 2012 making what he describes as Neapolitan-inspired pizzas out of a food truck made out of a glass enclosed shipping container on a Freightliner truck, before deciding to open a shop a few years later.
“In 2014, after a couple of years making pizza from our truck, I decided to open a restaurant. It felt like an appropriate next step. I wanted to make simple yet distinctive pizza and share it with more people,” Darsky wrote.
“I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect, but today I feel great knowing that it happened, it worked, and people actually liked it,” before announcing that the last day to get pizza at his shop would be Friday May 8th.
After that, the owner of the pizzeria said people can find their favorite Del Popolo pizza in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
“While this marks the end of Del Popolo as a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, I’m excited to begin a new chapter focusing on our frozen sourdough pizza,” the message read.
Darsky explained that his new mission is to change “the way people think about frozen pizza” and said that he’s “eager to continue building” on what the business has already accomplished.
“It’s guided by the same commitment to authenticity, process, and quality that built and sustained both the truck and the restaurant.”
The pie shop — which does a twist on the usual pizza dough by adding sourdough to the mix — scored top honors numerous times, with it landing on the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants four years in a row, per the outlet. It even scored a spot as one of the Top 50 Pizza Restaurants in 2022.
In 2020, the owner began selling frozen pizzas during the pandemic, which are now sold in over 100 grocery stores across California, Nevada and Arizona, per the website.
In order to have his frozen pizzas available nationwide, Darsky told the outlet that he’s going to have to get a larger facility with more machines and freezers. It will take millions from investors to make that happen and could possibly mean having to move out of the area, he said.
Darsky said it’s just hard saying goodbye to all the regulars.
“I’m just sad but excited at the same time. This was a meaningful part of my life,” he told the outlet.
In the letter on social media, Darsky also thanked the “guests who visited from all over the world, filled our dining room, validated our intentions and efforts, and bestowed upon us the amazing honor of creating memories in our space.”
He also expressed his gratitude to every single person who helped make the business successful from those in the neighborhood, including colleagues in the industry, to his supportive staff and the growers who helped him make the best product.
The Post reached out to the pizzeria for further comment.
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