SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A longtime Midtown Sacramento pizzeria is reopening months after it closed.
Zelda's Original Gourmet Pizza announced on its Instagram account it was reopening but won't be doing in-person dining and will only accept cash.
“When they reopened, it was like, 'Oh my goodness,'” said customer Barry Hutcherson.
“I was ecstatic,” said customer Leslie Niver.
It's a return to the old times after the pizzeria closed its doors in August, marking an end to a 45 year run.
“It is the old Zelda’s but better” said the new owner, Beau Cornell.
Cornell says he looks to add his touch in making the restaurant last.
“We are changing things very barely, aesthetically. Pizza is the same, the guys in the kitchen have been there for 15 years and they are staying,” Cornell said. “We have been selling over 100 pies a day. (We) sell out in two hours sometimes.”
The popularity doesn't surprise loyal customers like Jody Pribyl.
“It's the best Chicago-style pizza in Northern California,” Pribyl said.
The closure in August highlights the challenging landscape businesses have faced since the pandemic. The dynamics recently forced a downtown café, There and Back Café, to shutter on Veterans Day.
Customers say when businesses they are used to close, it feels like a piece of them left.
“It is really important to patronize these businesses, especially such as unique business as Zelda’s,” Pribyl said.
“It is sad. It makes you feel old. It is like, ‘I used to go there. Well, they are not there anymore.’ For them to close suddenly, everyone was pretty much shocked,” Niver said.
One thing customers are not shocked by is the demand and the feeling Zelda’s brings.
“I am never surprised by how popular Zelda's is, was and will be,” Pribyl said.
“It is so much nicer. You can keep going to the places you are used to, it feels like home,” Niver said.
Cornell says they hope to begin in-person dining in a few weeks.
Zelda's is located on 1415 21st Street and will be open Thursday through Sunday from 5-9 p.m.
