Another Old-School Pizzeria Is Shutting Down in Brooklyn

Johnny’s Pizza opened in 1968.

Johnny’s, a decades-old slice shop, announced on Thursday that it’s shutting down after 56 years. “Although this decision has not come easy for us, we would like to be sincere in telling you that it is the right decision, as we are set to begin our retirements,” a note on its website states. The last day is January 24. John Miniaci, Sr. opened the Sunset Park pizzeria with his wife, Lilia, in 1968 at 5805 Fifth Avenue, near 58th Street. It’s one of several old-school slice shops to shut down in the last year as their owners retire.

Who makes Queens’s best bagel?

City officials are looking for the best bagel in Queens. The Queens Chamber of Commerce announced the borough’s first best bagel contest last week. The free-for-all will be decided by the public. Bagel nominations are open until January 26. The winner will be decided by a vote from January 29 to February 7. Bagel shops must be located in Queens to be eligible.

Two more restaurant closings this week

The restaurant closings keep coming. Caliza, a year-old Mexican restaurant, has closed in Tribeca. Owner Josh Lebowitz tells Tribeca Citizen sales have been slow since mid-December. “We only saw about 30 customers per day,” he says. In Bushwick, the Vietnamese cafe High Low Beverage Company will also be shutting down. Owners Jaime Hodgkin and Shriver Tran, who opened in 2020, broke the news on Instagram over the weekend: “The obstacles we continue to face have become insurmountable.” The last day is January 31.

Trouble at a decades-old dive

Lucy’s, a decades-old Manhattan bar, may be forced to close. Ludwika Mickevicius, who’s run the bar since 1992, lost her lease at 135 Avenue A, between St. Marks Place and East Ninth Street, according to EV Grieve. Mickevicius was on a month-to-month agreement with her landlord, but the building and its next-door property sold for $19.1 million last month. The new owner is reportedly asking for $25,000 in monthly rent.