10
QUEENS WEEKLY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020
Uno Pizzeria & Grill shuts its doors on Bell Blvd. in Bayside
BY JENNA BAGCAL
After more than three decades
in Bayside, a Chicago-based pizza
chain is closing its doors for good.
Signs bearing the name of Uno
Pizzeria & Grill were stripped
from the restaurant’s facade at 39-
02 Bell Blvd. A spokesperson for
the store told QNS that the Queens
location served its last meals on
Sunday, Jan. 26.
Hundreds of the franchise’s
fans took to social media, sharing
stories of what the restaurant
meant to them and the community.
Parents recalled taking
their children there while others
remembered the myriad fundraising
efforts Uno’s took part in.
It is unclear why the restaurant’s
owners chose to close, but
BaysideLiveTV surmised that it
was due to complications in renegotiating
a lease. Others asserted
that owners could not afford the
rising cost of rent.
Some have speculated the
names of several businesses that
might take Uno’s place. But Bayside
Village BID President Christine
Silletti said that while there
are a few businesses interested in
opening in its place, “there’s no
final deal as of yet.”
“The staff at UNO’s have been
great to work with and gave a lot
back to this community,” Silletti
said.
Prior to closing, the Bayside
eatery advertised an earthquake
relief effort for Puerto Rico, encouraging
diners to bring in
items like water bottles, canned
food and batteries. A portion of
every sale went toward a donation
to Puerto Rico.
Uno’s founder Ike Sewell started
in Chicago in 1943 with his
innovative recipe for deep-dish
pizza. The recipe combined “authentic
Italian spices,” tomatoes
and cheese on a crust with a tall
edge.
The Bayside location was one
of two locations left in Queens,
the other being in Astoria. According
to its website, there are
100 locations across the United
States, District of Columbia, Honduras,
Qatar, India and Saudi
Arabia.
In June 2019, the restaurant
temporarily closed after the
Health Department issued it a
failing grade for multiple violations.
The agency allowed Uno’s to
reopen a few days later. Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Bayside closed on Jan. 26 Photo: Jenna Bagcal/QNS