Mamma Lucia served its final pizza last night (Sunday) after nearly four decades in Fairfax City.
The humble but beloved institution announced on Friday (May 1) that it would permanently close on Sunday, May 3, a difficult decision necessitated by health challenges facing its owner, Rosa.
“We sincerely thank our customers for their loyalty and support over the years!” the Italian restaurant said in a Facebook post.
Located at 9650 Main Street, Suite 40, in Fair City Mall, Mamma Lucia had cooked up pizza, pasta and sandwiches to shoppers and film buffs patronizing nearby Cinema Arts Theatres since August 1987. It outlasted the neighboring chain Old Country Buffet, another longtime anchor at the shopping center, by a decade.
The closure announcement brought an outpouring of support for Mamma Lucia, leading to long lines and so much demand that it closed early on Saturday to give its team a break. On the final day, the restaurant disconnected its phone so workers could focus on in-person orders, and several items, including the Sicilian pizza and lasagna, were unavailable.
The last pizza — a half cheese, half pepperoni pie — was made by Rosa herself. The comments on Mamma Lucia’s Facebook posts are filled with community members reminiscing about their experiences and wishing her well.
“Love you Rosa! I hope retirement is good to you, you deserve it!” one commenter said. “Thank you for a lifetime of memories. Your restaurant fed 3 generations of my family for the past 39 years.”
One poster noted that she has been eating at Mamma Lucia’s since she was 12, while another said he’d loved Rosa’s pizza since he was a kid and the video game store FuncoLand was still at the mall.
Mamma Lucia’s space has been listed as “available” on a retail site plan for Fair City Mall since at least mid-April, though a broker for landlord KLNB told FFXnow last week that they “cannot comment at this time” when asked whether the restaurant was closing.
The former Old Country Buffet storefront is currently filled by the Vietnamese restaurant 54 Restaurant Bar and Lounge, but it has gone through multiple tenants since the chain shuttered in 2016.
Other recent additions at Fair City Mall have included the stir-fry chain Honeygrow and J. Crew Factory.
Hat tip to Gregory Themak
