HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It's the end of an era for a beloved local restaurant that's been around for decades. The business closed on Saturday after 50 years of serving its community.
Vesuvio's Pizza in Hazleton said its goodbyes: A bittersweet night for owners, staff, and customers alike.
There have been roughly 2,600 Saturdays that Vesuvio's Pizza has served customers in Hazleton. But this one is different. It is the last Saturday for the business that opened in 1975, the product of Italian immigrants, fresh off the boat.
"My grandparents' legacy isn't just a building. It's us as their grandkids and what we're still doing in the community," Vesuvio's Pizzeria & Ristorante Co-Owner Donald Sabatino said.
The three-generation restaurant managed to stay in the same family, quickly becoming a staple of downtown Hazleton, and in more recent years expanding to locations in Wilkes-Barre and Drums.
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Vesuvio's co-owner, Donald Sabatino, says letting his grandparents' shop go isn't easy. He recalls memories from his own childhood, working in the kitchen with his grandparents and helping to make Vesuvio's what it is today.
"Spending time with the family. It was almost like, this is what we did, we didn't know anything else. We would go to work in the morning, we'd be here all day, and that's all we did," Sabatino explained.
He says the shop saw generations of school children stopping by for lunch or a snack after Friday night football, something one long-time customer remembers well.
"In the years past, it was really very popular, especially after high school games," Hazleton resident Andrea Preputnick said.
Another customer was one of those kids. He says he's been coming to Vesuvios for pizza since junior high, making one final visit Saturday afternoon.
"A lot of good Friday nights here after football games at the stadium and stuff, and coming down and spending some time with the family. They've become friends over the years and, you know, just happy to be able to support them here one last time," Matt Balliet from Drums said.
But the Vesuvio's legacy runs deeper than just this building, something Sabatino says influenced the decision by him and his two siblings to sell.
While they still have their two other locations, what was created here in Hazleton is irreplaceable.
"Just the memories that were here. We built a lot of friendships, a lot of memories that came out of this place. Yeah," Sabatino added.
Sabatino says the Hazleton building already has a buyer, and he says the sentimental photos at the shop will be displayed at the Vesuvio's restaurant in Drums.
