PIZZA WARS: Is town big enough for both?
Village Pizza's sign, with its familiar logo -- "You've tried the rest, now try the best" -- is gone. It has been replaced by a sign for Lee's Pizza, billing its creation as the "original" village pizza.
Confused yet?
It's pretty simple. Village Pizza closed its doors last fall after 31 years at the same location, 117 N. Kennedy Drive (Route 25).
The property owner wanted Village Pizza owners Michael and Marcie Sarillo to sign a 10-year lease on the property, but the couple felt they could not commit themselves to such a long period. Instead, the couple chose to build a new facility right next door, where they owned property. They never intended for Village Pizza to close or relocate. The old location is a landmark in Carpentersville, Marcie Sarillo said.
Meanwhile, the property owner decided to lease Village Pizza's old location to a new tenant, Lee's Pizza Lodge. If the pizza seems familiar, as some people say, it could be because the Sarillos' former manager, Lee Amour, runs the restaurant. The new restaurant had a five-year lease.
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