Local restaurant to close after 10 years in business

Armando Maldanado would stay open if he could, but his landlord has told him his time is up.

Maldanado owns Brother’s NY Style Pizzeria in Bellefonte and at 2932 Benner Pike, but he’ll close the latter after 10 years in business.

The restaurant will shut down Dec. 15, a month before his lease ends. Maldanado said the property owner did not give a reason, other than to say there are other ideas for the building, for not renewing their agreement.

“I’ll be sad if they go with another food joint, but what can you do?” Maldanado said. “They own it.”

Maldanado has owned Brother’s in Bellefonte for 22 years and said there are no plans to close it. Equipment from the shuttered location will be put in storage in hopes of reopening the restaurant in the same area. Development of retail space will take place on Benner Pike within a mile of the eatery’s location, which Maldanado said would be ideal.

Employees will not be let go due to the closure and will work at the Bellefonte location.

“We’re going to miss seeing customers (on Benner Pike),” Maldanado said. “We have our other location in Bellefonte. I hope we see them there, or we do delivery all around. We’ll have all the same food.”

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Local restaurant to close after 10 years in business."