Staffing shortage forces Steak Works Pizza to close for good

Ken MammarellaBusiness, Food & Dining, Headlines

Steak Works Pizza (www.steakworkspizza.com)

Steak Works Pizza (www.steakworkspizza.com)

Steak Works Pizza, a favorite in Brandywine Hundred for decades, has closed. Although the announcement was immediate and surprising, the warnings included recurring appeals to hire staff.

“To my wonderful customers,” owner Tas Adamopoulos wrote on Facebook on July 15. “This last year and a half have been very hard with the coronavirus and not being able to find staff to run my restaurant. We have been looking for help for a year and a half with no luck.

“It has put a physical and mental strain on my life. So with a heavy heart I have decided to close Steak Works Pizza after 30 years. This takes effect immediately.

“Thank you for your loyalty and support.

“Thank you and God bless.”

The Silverside Road restaurant is a descendant of A&G Steakshop, one of several restaurants founded by Adamopoulos’s parents, Angeliki “Kiki” and Kostas.

In March of 2020, the pandemic forced Steak Works to modify its hours and go to takeout and delivery. By June of 2020, he posted on Facebook that he was looking to hire. Two similar posts followed in July.

In September, the news was that understaffing kept him from opening on Sundays during football season.

In October, the place was temporarily closed while he searched for “reliable and experienced associates” while he cared for his mother. Steak Works reopened a few days later. His mother passed on in November.

“It’s been a rough year for everyone,” Adamopoulos wrote in January. “The past few months has it been hard for us with the loss of my mother. We are planning to re-open on Mondays very soon I will post it as soon as we have the right people in place. I do not want to compromise our food. We are trying to put the best staff together that we can during these critical times. And again I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We have some of the best customers in the world!

“And this goes out to those who are trying to buy me out. I am not interested. I love making cheesesteaks subs and pizzas!

“I really love making a real cheesesteak. Not a frozen patty. I spend time cutting fresh ribeye every day. For the last 35 years I will not serve anything I would not enjoy myself. If you’ve never tried it. Give us a try! We take pride in what we serve.

The comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page formed a chorus of grief and fond memories.

So sorry to hear this, my friend,” Lori Lindenberg wrote. “It’s time for you to enjoy your life and go take a trip to Greece.”

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