A longtime Westchester red sauce restaurant is closing and, according to comments on Reddit, it’s all due to the expiration of a lease, rising rent costs and the fact that the owners (and kitchen staff) are ready to retire.
While the owner of Francesco’s didn’t give a reason, he did say the restaurant, which has been in White Plains since the ’70s, will close sometime next week.
The unassuming Italian eatery known for its legendary chicken parm, is like a throw-back in time— complete with two candy machines at the bar, vintage signs, black and white photos, and old-school sports memorabilia with signed posters from former New York Rangers players and other ice hockey stars.
More: Two more Westchester restaurants closing doors in June. What will replace the eateries?
Also popular: It’s thin-crust pizza, made in a stone-bottom gas oven, as well as other traditional recipes.
Rob Pastore of Pleasantville is one customer who always appreciated the old school vibe and classic Italian menu. “It’s a throwback and a place you knew you’d get a good meal,” said Pastore, who’s been coming to the restaurant for close to a decade. “The pizza is excellent, so is their chicken parm and the baked clams.”
White Plains resident Dawn Priore is another fan who laments their closing. “When I moved to White Plains 27 years ago, my husband and I ate there when we got engaged, brought our kids there as babies, had family get togethers, and ordered take-out pizza once our lives got too hectic.”
Originally from Brooklyn, she said Brooklyn pizza didn’t compare once she tasted Francisco’s pie with fried eggplant. “It’s like nothing I ever had growing up in the city,” she said.
Even now, so close to Francesco’s end, she’s wondering how to cram in her pizza fix.
“My 18-year-old daughter and I tried to figure out if there’s a way to learn from the owners how to make the pizza or what it would take to buy as many pizza pies as I can to freeze them,” she said.
“It’s like mourning the loss of a relative once you frequent a place like this.”
Know of an opening or closing?
Email JRMuchnick@gannett.com with restaurant news.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
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Source Link: https://www.lohud.com/story/life/food/restaurants/2024/06/20/francescos-pizza-italian-white-plains-westchester-ny-closing/74155467007/
Francesco’s in Westchester, in business since 1970s, to close – Information Important Web
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