Mandy's Place Pizza Shop Closing After 37 Years Due To Crime
PITTSBURGH (KDKA)- Mandy's Place has been a staple of the North Side for 37 years.
As of Monday, it is closed and destined to become a boarded-up building and the owner, Steve Negri, says, "It's all because of crime."
Negri still makes pizza, but at a suburban location and not in the city. His shop in Observatory Hill on Perrysville Avenue, is now closed for good.
One of the reasons is that he says he can't provide a safe-working environment for his employees because of crime.
"They don't feel safe. We changed our business hours to close in the summer when the lights came on. What do you do know when daylight savings is in place? It gets dark at six o'clock," said Negri.
Negri's business on Observatory Hill was robbed twice this past summer. The first instance saw a man brandish a weapon and steal the cash register. In the second robbery, the suspect actually fired a weapon in the store. Since then, a number of employees have refused to work there.
"If somebody shot a weapon at me, I'd potentially be gone too," said Negri.
Negri believes both robberies were committed by the same person. Nobody was ever arrested. He said that's another reason for the closing.
"It would've added solace to my staff to know that the city actually did something. To know this person would be made an example of."
Dave Schuilenburg, Candidate for City Council District 1, is challenging incumbent councilwoman Darlene Harris in tomorrow's election. He thinks she deserves some of the blame.
"For her not to even show up and visit the business to see if the business owner is alright is atrocious. It underscores the need for new leadership on the North Side."
Meanwhile, Negri praises police for beefing up patrols in the area, but says it's not enough for his business to thrive.
"A staple of that community is now gone and it's another boarded-up building that is only a sore eye to the city."
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