A year ago, Joe DeGaetano announced that he was ready to retire from the pizza business at the age of 86. For the past 27 years he was the proprietor Village Square Pizza in Woodmere, which he purchased from the previous owners in 1995. The popular pizza parlor has been feeding east-siders for more than 50 years.
A day later, Todd Leebow of Kind of One Concepts, the Cleveland-based hospitality group that operates The Last Page restaurant at Pinecrest, announced his intention to purchase Village Square Pizza (27349 Chagrin Blvd., 216-831-5282) and keep the tradition alive.
“I grew up eating Village Square Pizza as a young Clevelander on the east side,” Leebow told Scene at the time. “I knew the phone number by heart. When I saw the announcement of their closing today, I wanted to see how I could prevent that. Now with Village Square Pizza as part of the Kind of One family, my kids will be able to grow up loving their pizza just like I did.”
Tomorrow, after a year of work, the pizzeria officially reopens. To go with a “refreshed” interior, the restaurant also will feature an updated menu of appetizers, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and entrees courtesy of chefs Brad Race and Jordan Rolleston.
“We are excited to reintroduce Village Square Pizza to the community,” Race says. “Our menu is a blend of updated classics, featuring fresh, new flavors while still keeping the essence of what made Village Square Pizza a neighborhood favorite for so long.”
Village Square Pizza opens on April 4 for dine-in, take-out and delivery service.
“At Village Square Pizza, we are committed to providing our customers with a
top-notch experience, from the quality of our food to the service we offer,” adds Rolleston. “We are excited to welcome everyone back to the refreshed
restaurant and for the community to experience Kind of One Concepts’ signature
touch.”
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This article appears in Mar 22 – Apr 5, 2023.
