Lou Malnati’s to close two Valley eateries as real estate strategy shifts

Lou Malnati’s, the famed Chicago-based pizzeria, is shuttering two restaurants in the Phoenix area, but the company said the closures are related to its real estate strategy rather than brand’s performance in the market.

Before the end of February, Lou Malnati’s will close its locations in Phoenix at Uptown Plaza at the corner of Central Avenue and Camelback Road, and at Mesa’s Village Square at Dana Park shopping center near the Baseline Road and Val Vista Drive intersection.

The Uptown Plaza restaurant, which opened in 2016, was Lou Malnati’s first in the Phoenix area. It had a 6,800-square-foot indoor space, a bar and 1,500-square-foot patio. Mindy Kaplan, Lou Malnati’s vice president of communications, told the Business Journal that its lease at Uptown Plaza has expired and the pizza chain could be more profitable in another location in Phoenix.

“We believe we have bigger opportunities to provide our customers with a better experience if we were to move locations,” Kaplan said.

This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.

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