Astoria Pizza and Pasta closes
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/04/2019 (2504 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A well-known Brandon pizza and pasta place with a long history in the city has closed its doors.
The quiet announcement was made with a sign taped onto the door of Astoria Pizza and Pasta on Saturday evening that said: “Sorry we are closed for business. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
A post on their Facebook page said they are “closed until further notice.”
It was the restaurant’s second incarnation, with the original restaurant at 26th and Victoria Ave. closing in 2006.
The old location sat 88 people, and the new one at 1650 Park Ave. had space for 237, which former shareholder Toula Tarr said wasn’t sustainable.
Tarr said she sold her shares back in January because of differences with the Trotters. Tarr’s original business partner was Blake Trotter, but his brother Brock bought him out, she said.
“To try and staff such a big kitchen and a big restaurant was very difficult at times,” she said. “And, being a new business opening up there’s a lot of overhead to think about, and I just feel that maybe it was just too much for just a pizza place.”
They might have had a better shot at becoming sustainable if they were a big franchise, she added.
When reached by The Sun on Sunday, Trotter declined to comment on the reason for the closure and whether the business would be re-opening in the future.
The restaurant has a long history in Brandon, and was owned and operated by by Tarr’s parents, Steve and Barb Paras, for 40 years.
It closed in 2006, before Tarr re-opened it with Trotter at the new location in September 2018, occupying the space previously filled by Blü Kitchen and Bar.
Their most popular dish was the Astoria Royal Pizza, which was served with sauce, mushrooms, salami, mozzarella, ham, bacon, pepperoni, green peppers and onions.
“We just kind of saw things differently,” Tarr said. “When we were a smaller restaurant we did things old school, and that worked for us. Yes, I realize times change — you have to go with the times, but I just think we tried to get too big to quickly.”
Despite its challenges, Tarr said that she was surprised to learn that the restaurant had closed.
“I was very disappointed to hear that it was shutting down. I thought it would be just as flourishable and profitable as it was when my family had it.”
Looking back, she said that it might have done better if the restaurant been located elsewhere in the city, and in a smaller building.
“I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
» mverge@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @Melverge5