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Longstanding Nashville eatery Mafiaozas’s Pizzeria closing due to industry changes

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Longstanding Nashville eatery Mafiaozas’s Pizzeria closing due to industry changes

Mafiaozas’s Pizzeria and Pub, a 12 South staple, is slated to close permanently next month after more than 20 years in business.

Business partners Michael Dolan, Lars Kopperud and Brett Corrieri opened Mafiaoza’s Pizzeria 12th Avenue South in 2003, serving Italian-inspired pizzas, pastas, salads and more. Over the years it became a popular neighborhood gathering spot in the increasingly trendy 12 South area.

“It’s hard to say goodbye, especially after 21 years,” representatives of the business said in an Instagram post about the impending closure. “For a restaurant that feels like a lifetime. Like multiple lifetimes actually.”

The pizzeria joins several other locally-owned restaurants to announce closures this summer, including Lou, Sinema and fellow 12 South business Portland Brew. Business owners have commonly cited inflation, rising labor costs and high rents as reasons for the recent closures. The neighborhood of 12 South specifically has seen a dramatic rise in commercial rents, and real estate redevelopment has completely transformed the area in recent years.

In Mafiaoza’s case, the owners said the post-pandemic method of doing business was no longer feasible.

“The path to success that we needed to take after the pandemic looks so much clearer in hindsight,” the social media post said. “The new way to operate in the service industry is no longer service-focused. Higher prices, lower staff, automated systems took away from our identity.”

The post also expressed gratitude for longtime customers of the restaurant and invited patrons to make a final visit before the tentative last day of service on Oct. 6. Owners of the longtime business also operate Ember’s Ski Lodge nearby, which remains open.

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