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The Health Department in mid-November gave its go-ahead to embattled Gloria’s Pizzeria owner Steven Beck to re-open the Main Street restaurant after having fulfilled six requirements set down by the office in early October.
In a letter dated Oct. 6, Director of Public Health Jennifer Murphy informed Beck the 920 Main St. business was being shut down immediately following an inspection the same day.
The letter laid out a series of remediation steps to be undertaken immediately before the restaurant could re-open, including making repairs to faulty equipment including an air conditioning unit; contracting with a Food Safety consultant; and ceasing usage of a pizza flip top unit, among other items.
Murphy said Gloria’s had fulfilled the requirements in the Health Department order and received “the green light” as of Nov. 19 to re-open for business.
But for how long?
The question was raised not because the restaurant has already been closed once before in June after failing a health inspection for similar issues, but because of a listing on the website BizBuySell, where “100% ABSENTEE OWNED PIZZA - Established 30 Years - Very Profitable” caught the eye of residents.
The listing does not name Gloria’s Pizzeria nor its owner outright, but says it is located in Winchester and is a long-standing pizza business founded in 1995.
“This is a very well established Italian Pizza business of 30 years. Located in a great downtown main street location in the very upscale and affluent town of Winchester. This business has been 100% absentee owned for just over 3 years. Owner has never worked 1 day in the business! Very good crew and manager in place,” reads the business description on the site. “Free-standing building with plenty of parking with a drive-around feature. This operation boasts high sales volume/profits and needs new “vested ownership” to bring it to the next level of profitability. Reasonable monthly rent which includes NNN’s with 15 years remaining on the lease. Great opportunity to acquire this high volume operation which has much potential for an astute owner operator who really knows the “pizza trade” to grow the business to the next level.”
The asking price for the business is $750,000 and includes the furniture, fixtures and equipment. The inventory, listed at $14,000, is not included.
Listed as the reason for selling is that the “Seller has other businesses that he need to focus on.”
A similar notice appears on the website Loop Net.
Both listings are by Richard Milordi, of Trinity Business Brokers in Ipswich, which states that “We specialize in the buying, selling and valuation of all types of restaurants along with a variety of other main street businesses. Our service area encompasses the North Shore of Boston, New England and Florida.”
Milordi has not responded to a call from Winchester News regarding the listings.
Email requests from Winchester News to Beck or his legal representative requesting comment on either the listings or issues surrounding the business have gone unanswered.
What does all this mean?
Murphy said the Health Department has also heard the rumors of a possible sale and have seen a listing. But she said no one has approached the department to inform them of a sale.
And, Murphy said, that would need to be the case. According to health regulations, if a business is sold, the town must be notified within at least 48 hours.
What residents are saying
The question of whether Winchester residents are happy about the re-opening of Gloria’s can be answered in one word: depends.
On what? That’s the question.
On the Winchester Residents Facebook page, the news yielded mixed reactions. Some residents have said they won’t go back to the restaurant.
“Nah ain’t touching that place with a 10 foot pole anymore,” said one resident, who added that after two failed inspections it was surprising the owner was re-opening again.
Some residents pointed to Beck’s absenteeism as the real issue.
“I think if new owners take it over it will be great and we should give them a chance,” one resident added.
One resident said he’d recently had lunch at Gloria’s and enjoyed the meal. He added that the Health Department’s “stringent criteria” would never allow the restaurant to re-open unless it was satisfied.
Others wished the restaurant luck with this most recent re-opening. One resident added that “if you don’t want to support the business, then don’t!” She added she’d never been anything less than pleased with the service.
Nell Escobar Coakley has been a journalist for more than 30 years. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Gotta Know Medford and editor of Winchester News. She can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
