A famous D.C.-area pizzeria will be closing its last location in the region after over 50 years of business. Armand’s Pizzeria and Grille will shut its doors later this month; a co-owner of the business cited financial issues and mounting pressures on small businesses as reasons for the closure. In a statement posted on Armand’s social media, the owners wrote: “While this chapter is coming to an end, we leave with a heart full of gratitude. “The success of Armand’s was never just about the food, it was about the people of our community. The support you have given us over the years has meant more than words can express.”

Since the restaurant announced its last day open will be June 20, people have been lining up to get a final pie. Paul Rist drove over an hour from Virginia to the Rockville location when he heard about the closure. “I grew up on Armand Pizza and I haven’t had it in about 20 years,” Rist said. “I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity, so I got a couple pies and get to share with my kids, they’ve never had it, so it’s a little piece of childhood that I get to revisit and enjoy.” “The community has been great; customers have been great. They’ve all been telling us stories,” Chris Sappe, co-owner of Armand’s, told WTOP. “Yesterday we were so busy, everybody came in, wanted to get another pizza.” Armand’s has been in business for 50 years and made a name for itself with its Chicago-style deep dish. But due to financial reasons and a struggling environment for small businesses, they will have to shut their doors. “Montgomery County is a tough place to have a family-owned business with minimum wage increasing, food cost increasing, obviously gas and everything else that affects everybody,” Sappe said. “We can’t compete with national chains like Domino’s or Papa John’s because they just push the food at such a low cost, but we use fresh ingredients every day, we pay the extra money for the high-quality ingredients, but eventually you’ll price yourself out.” [custom_gallery]