After nearly 50 years in operation, Lombardozzi Restaurant in Bloomfield is calling it quits and is up for sale.
The large Italian restaurant on Liberty Avenue was an institution for several decades, attracting not only Bloomfield residents, but fans from across the city of Pittsburgh, said Phil Luciano, a business broker who is handling the sale of Lombardozzi.
“It meant a lot to the neighborhood. And to a lot of other neighborhoods, too,” said Luciano. “It was very vulnerable.”
Luciano said the asking price is just over $1 million. The restaurant space covers about 6,000 square feet: about 3,000 square feet in the upstairs restaurant, and 3,000 in the downstairs banquet hall. The restaurant can hold about 150 diners upstairs, and an additional 150 downstairs.
“It is in good shape, but it is just a bit dated, so it just needs a few cosmetic changes,” said Luciano.
Like many restaurants, Lombardozzi closed down when the covid-19 pandemic first hit in March 2020, and it has never reopened. It first opened in 1973, and was known for hearty Italian-American fare, with white tablecloths and classic atmosphere.
Luciano said that the pandemic combined with owner Tony Lombardozzi’s advanced age, convinced him to retire. He said a new restaurant in the space won’t be able to replicate the old-school, Italian charm of Lombardozzi’s, or the owner’s charm and rapport with diners, but Luciano also acknowledged that tastes have changed over the years, and a modern concept could find a suitable home there.
“We are looking for someone to do a restaurant there, preferably an Italiana, but we can’t dictate that,” said Luciano. .
Luciano said the building is likely the biggest restaurant space in all of Bloomfield.
Though Bloomfield, aka Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, has lost some Italian businesses over the years, the neighborhood is still home to several Italian markets, restaurants, and other businesses owned by Italian-Americans.
