San Diego-born restaurant chain Sammy's Woodfired Pizza once operated more than 20 locations but now has closed one of only a handful of remaining outlets.
Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen, veteran restaurateur Sami Ladeki began his own restaurant empire in 1989 with the opening of his first Sammy's Woodfired Pizza in downtown La Jolla. The company grew to 21 branches dotted around Southern California in Nevada, but in recent years they have been closing the pizza restaurants and frequently replacing them with outposts of Ladeki's new, morning-focused concept Toasted Gastrobrunch. Ladeki is also in the process of reviving his once-popular Roppongi restaurant, which operated successfully in La Jolla for 17 years before closing in 2015.
After two decades in business, the Sammy's Woodfired Pizza location in Mission Valley will close for business on Memorial Day. Allegedly the business could not come to terms on a new lease with the property owner and staff were reportedly only given one week notice of the impending closure. Sammy's Woodfired Pizza continues to operated locations in San Diego in San Marcos, Scripps Ranch, Chula Vista and the original branch in La Jolla.
Sammy's Woodfired Pizza will close after end of service on Monday, May 27, at 1620 Camino De La Reina in San Diego's Mission Valley. For more information, visit sammyspizza.com.
