'Lenny’s Pizza' by Nick Sherman is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Lenny’s Pizzeria, made famous for its ‘Saturday Night Fever’ cameo, is closing
The Bensonhurst institution will no longer be stayin' alive as the owner decides to retire, according to an announcement
Lenny’s Pizzeria, the Bensonhurst restaurant made famous for its cameo in “Saturday Night Fever,” is closing after nearly 70 years.
The owner’s daughter, Josephine Giordano, announced the news late Friday on Facebook, writing about the “bittersweet” decision to close the pizzeria this weekend. She said that her 77-year-old dad Frank, who has run the pizzeria since 1983, is retiring, writing they’ve “thankfully have done very well and felt it was best to close once my dad was ready.”
“It’s time for him and I to enjoy our families,” she wrote. “We want to thank everyone who has given us the opportunity to serve them.”
Its final slices will be served on Sunday until 10 p.m. when it closes its doors for good. “This is a very emotional time for us. We ask for you to be respectful,” she added.
Lenny’s Pizzeria became a staple in pop culture after it appeared in the 1977 film, when John Travolta ordered to slices of pizza and scarfs them down while walking down 86th Street. The actor visited Lenny’s again in 2018 to celebrate John Travolta Day.
And, although Lenny’s was the name of the original owner, he only owned for six years, Joesphine said in a previous interview about its history. “I want to keep the name for the neighborhood, this is a place for the neighborhood, it’s not about me,” she said.
