BLOOMINGTON — Cafe Pizzaria fed generations of Bloomington residents and Indiana University students, but the restaurant suddenly closed without offering a last slice to its loyal fans.
A note posted to the restaurant's door Wednesday said Cafe Pizzaria's owners retired after 70 years to focus on their family instead.
Several people tried to come visit the restaurant near IU's campus for a last meal, but instead found the cafe had already shut down.
"We were going to run down here today for lunch," said Gary Clem, a Bloomington native who now visits Indiana from Oklahoma. "We walked up, there was a note on the door, and they're gone. It's a heartbreaker, it's one of the iconic places in Bloomington. It was part of my childhood and it's gone."
Cafe Pizzaria had a prominent place in Bloomington's Kirkwood Avenue shopping district and created prominent memories for its customers.
"It means a lot," Clem said. "I had my first ever piece of pizza here in the late '60s."
"This was a high school hangout," said Stacy Morton, a graduate of Bloomington South High School. "It has been a staple in my childhood and on Kirkwood for a very long time."
"The first time I visited is when we were dropping my sister off," said Gloria Nicole, who moved with her sister to Bloomington. "I have to admit, the highlight is taking a picture with cute little guy holding the pizza box."
The pizzeria stood tall as a local presence as major chain restaurants such as Chipotle, Jimmy John's, and Raising Cane's opened on Kirkwood Avenue.
Nicole believes there is a reason local restaurants are fading from Kirkwood.
"Primarily, it's not as cost effective as other places and I like taking things to go, but it is sad seeing anything that is that much of a monument go," Nicole said.
Clem hopes Cafe Pizzaria is not gone for long.
"I'm hoping that somebody with money opens it back up, leaves it the way it is, refreshes it a little bit, and continues making that iconic pizza," Clem said.
The owner's note did not mention what could come next for the business or the building.
