Pizza Oven closes its doors after 66 years in Riverdale

After more than six decades, the Pizza Oven in Riverdale, Maryland, has served its last slice.

The shop celebrated its years of serving the community at the East Pines Shopping Center, plus the owner’s birthday on New Year’s Eve.

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As word of the closing spread, customers came back in droves for their last pizza and a taste of nostalgia. Owner Brian Boileau came out from behind the counter to say goodbye to some of his biggest fans.

“Every Wednesday, every Saturday, we always came here we would sit here or over there and my dad he just…’We going to see Brian?’” a customer said.

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“My parents came here, but I started coming when I was around three years old," Customer Peggy Childs said.

A car meetup was also held outside the restaurant. There were classic cars, like a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, that could have been driven to the restaurant when it was new.

A historic Maryland pizza shop is closing its doors for good next week. The Pizza Oven has been serving up fresh made pies since the 1950s. The man behind the counter for mos of those decades says he'd keep making pizza if it weren't for the Purple Line construction in front of his restaurant. News4's Mark Segraves reports.

Jim Woodhouse, who brought a classic car to the parking lot, said he's been coming to the Pizza Shop since before he could drive.

“I was like 10 years old coming down here getting pizza,” Woodhouse said.

Boileau is on a first-name basis with many of his customers. For many of them, it’s been like visiting a friend’s place, except with walls filled with memorabilia and ceilings covered in baseball hats.

“This store, you won’t find many of them like it anymore,” a customer said.

But it takes more than atmosphere to create such a following.

“It’s the pizza, the pizza, all by itself,” a customer said.

Boileau said construction on the Purple Line hastened the end of his beloved business, which he wanted to keep open as long as possible.

The Purple Line light rail has been under construction for many years and is scheduled to open in 2027. Last year, Prince George’s County offered grants for businesses that have lost customers due to the construction.

Boileau was grateful for the many people who came to say goodbye to the Pizza Oven.

“It really makes me feel warm. My wife raised twelve kids and they’re all inside working,” he said.