Pica’s restaurant, a pizza spot in Upper Darby, is set to close after 70 years of operation. NBC10’s Yukare Nakayama spoke to the owners and customers of the beloved restaurant.
After seven decades in business, one of the most popular restaurants in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, is set to close its doors later this year.
The owners of Pica’s Restaurant announced the pizza spot's Upper Darby location will close on a yet-to-be-determined date this summer.
First established in 1941, Pica’s was founded in West Philadelphia by Frank Pica, Sr., who brought a unique pizza flavor from Italy.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
“He wanted to share his tradition of what he had in Italy,” Angelina Pica-Oandasan, the restaurant’s current owner, told NBC10. “And he would give that to his customers.”
Frank Pica, Jr., then took over when the restaurant moved to Upper Darby where it remained a staple for decades, earning several fans, including actress, writer and Upper Darby native Tina Fey, who called Pica’s “the best” during an interview.
For lifelong customer Joe Quigley, 91, it’s the sauce that has helped him remain a loyal customer since the 1950s.
Business
“It’s the sauce and it’s the people,” Quigley told NBC10. “They have the knack to hire the right people.”
In their Facebook post announcing the closure, the pizza spot’s owners wrote they plan to open a new and smaller location in the Delaware County area. Their West Chester location will also remain open.
They also told customers that any gift cards purchased from the Upper Darby location may be used in the final months before closure or at their West Chester restaurant.
