Pizza Palace, A Ditmars Staple For Decades, Likely To Close For Good

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Pizza Palace, which has dished out slices and garlic knots for decades out of a prominent corner storefront on Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street, may soon be closing its doors.

The likely closure, first reported by Queens Gazette, was confirmed Thursday by owner Jack Vitale, who told Patch that he was nearing a deal with another business to take over the pizzeria's space.

"I don't know if it's 100 percent, but we're like a 99," he said by phone. "Looks like we're headed in that direction."

A combination of factors influenced the decision to close up shop, Vitale said — but it largely revolved around financial difficulties. For the past eight years, he said, the shop has struggled to stay open, with the pandemic only further compounding the stresses.

"Keep putting money into it just doesn’t make sense after a while," he said, adding that the shop pays $150 per square foot in rent.

"We’d love to stay, if things were different, if the rents were less, if there was some way to work something out," he said.

Vitale did not identify the business that would move into the space, and was unsure how much longer Pizza Palace would stay open if the deal goes through.

The closure will not affect next-door restaurant Trattoria L'Incontro, whose owners are associates with Pizza Palace's management, according to Vitale.

News of the likely closure triggered an outpouring of memories when Queens Gazette posted it to Facebook on Tuesday. It is unclear how long, exactly, Pizza Palace has been open, but some commenters said it dates back at least 40 years.

"Another landmark gone," one neighbor wrote. "Ditmars won’t be the same."