Business & Tech

Nicky G's Pizza Boards Up Its St. James Restaurant

Doors are locked, no ones answering the phone at popular Lake Avenue Pizzeria.

If you are hungry for a slice of Nicky G's famous garlic knot pizza, you might be out of luck. 

The popular St. James pizzeria and restaurant, located at 244 Lake Avenue, has locked its doors and taped brown paper up over the windows. On Thursday afternoon, the restaurant was closed as neon signs announcing "Pizza" and "Take Out" remained unlit. 

Several phone calls placed to Nicky G's pizzeria were not answered and there is no answering machine. The restaurant's Facebook page has not been updated since Nov. 19. 

It appears Nicky G's Pizza may have quietly moved on for the second time.

Owner Nick Grimaldi, of Port Jefferson, opened Nicky G's Pizza on Lake Avenue storefront in October 2011, roughly eight years after selling off his first pizzeria in town.

Grimaldi said he tried to open up a dining room before selling the pizzeria the first time, but problems with wastewater management permits from Suffolk County prevented him from doing so. It sparked his decision to sell the restaurant and leave. 

After Grimaldi no longer the owner of the establishment, he said Suffolk County finally gave the dining room plans he submitted nearly 10 years earlier the green light. Around that time an offer was made to him to buy back the the pizzeria, an offer he couldn't refuse.

Nicky G's Pizza opened up for the second time in 2011 as a take-out pizzeria and casually sit-in restaurant with seating for roughly 40 people. It was locally famous for its garlic knot pizza, which had garlic knots hand braided into the crust of the pie. 


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