A longtime tenant of Merrifield’s Gatehouse Plaza has permanently closed its doors.
Uno Pizzeria & Grill, located at 3058 Gate House Plaza, served its final slice late last month after 25 years in business.
“It is with profound sadness that on January 28, our beloved location permanently closed,” the chain restaurant announced on Facebook. “Thank you to all who have supported us through the years. We love you all and are eternally grateful to you.”
A sign affixed to the restaurant’s door also acknowledged the closure, which was first reported by Annandale Today.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you for the past 25 years,” the sign reads. “We have enjoyed every minute of it.”
No reason was given for the closure of the restaurant, which was one of two Fairfax-area locations for the Chicago-based chain.
The self-proclaimed “birthplace of deep dish pizza,” Uno offered seven different deep dish options, as well as the ability for diners to create their own. Uno’s menu also included thin-crust pizza, burgers, salads, pasta and much more.
After closing in Merrifield, Uno’s only remaining location in Fairfax County and, in fact, all of Northern Virginia is at Kingstowne Town Center — a 20-minute drive from the shuttered restaurant.
While not able to speak officially for Uno or the Merrifield restaurant, a manager at the Kingstowne location said he heard that they had encountered leasing issues on top of struggling to bring in enough customers and money to justify keeping their doors open.
Uno also closed a longstanding corporate location at Union Station in D.C. last month.
The Greater Merrifield Business Association (GMBA), which supports businesses in the area through marketing and networking, acknowledged Uno’s closure in a newsletter yesterday (Wednesday)
“UNO was a member of GMBA, and very supportive to our organization and the local community,” the association said. “They were affordable, consistent, very family friendly, and had a great staff. They will be missed.”
A variety of other dine-in restaurants remain at Gatehouse Plaza, including the neighboring Sweetwater Tavern and Guapo’s. Faster options, including Wendy’s and Starbucks, are also available.
