Mixed emotions as Port Credit pizzeria closes after three-plus decades

After more than three decades, the doors at Amadio’s Pizza in Port Credit will close for the last time on Saturday night.

“The last couple years have been very challenging with COVID and aging family passing away, so it’s time,” an emotional owner Joe Leroux tells CityNews.

Leroux adds a significant factor in his decision to close was the six-month-long road closure for construction on nearby train tracks which seriously changed traffic patterns in the area, cutting business to the pizzeria in half.

“Our sales dropped the day that they shut the tracks down because it became so inconvenient to come here. In reality, in life, it only takes like 30 days to change habits and to create a new habit,” explained Leroux. “And when the track’s opened back up again, the state of the economy prevented a lot of people from coming back. The math just doesn’t add up.”

In an online post announcing the closure, Leroux said they just don’t have the energy to build the business back up and with no imminent buyer on the horizon, the decision was made to shut it down.

“Mixed emotions,” said Leroux. “It’s been a challenge. This is what I’ve done for the last 33 years.”

“A lot of things have changed. We’re one of the first pizzerias to ever have caller ID, didn’t have cell phones, so I used two-way radios with the drivers.”

Since announcing the closure, the pizzeria has been flooded with orders. Joe, along with his wife, daughter and their staff, have been racing to meet the demand from a community preparing to bid farewell to a business known for its support of local sports teams, the food bank and school pizza days.

“We’ve been slammed. We’ve had to close early every night. We’ve sold out every night. We have set all-time records for the last three days that we’ve been open,” said Leroux.