98-year-old pizzeria Sinatra visited closes for surprising reason

When I was a kid, there was this pizzeria on a major boulevard. My parents would dress up my brother and me and take us there for the best pizza in the city.

It’s not just the pizza that we remember now that we're all grown up. It’s the whole family eating-out experience, full of love, laughter, and of course, delicious food. 

Times have changed, and we don’t go as much as we used to. But the memories remain, and nostalgia kicks in from time to time. It makes me happy that the restaurant is still operating, as if the harsh economic environment has had no impact at all. 

And when a pizzeria withstands the Great Depression, World War II, and even the Covid pandemic, it becomes more than a business — it becomes a testament to decades of quality and resilience.

Unfortunately, one such institution has just closed its doors for good, and for an unexpected reason. 

Marra’s pizzeria closes after 98 years due to parking issues 

Marra's, likely the oldest pizzeria in Philadelphia, closed on Sunday, Nov. 30, after 98 years of serving customers. The popular restaurant shut its doors one day in advance of the sale of its “iconic black-and-white-tiled building” at 1734 E. Passyunk Ave. in South Philadelphia, according to the Inquirer. 

The property had been for sale for several years. Why? 

While the pandemic significantly impacted the business, it was not the main reason for its closure after nearly a century of operation. 

“The biggest killer was parking,” Mario D’Adamo Jr., grandson of founders Salvatore and Chiarina Marra and brother of co-owner Robert D’Adamo, told the outlet. “Small restaurants can survive that; large places can’t."

D’Adamo Jr. explained that the lack of reasonable parking space to meet the demands of the restaurant's 160-seat capacity, caused a significant loss in business. 

Marra’s is not alone; restaurants are struggling, but for other reasons 

Marra’s is not alone in its struggles, though the majority of restaurants and diners cite other reasons for closures, such as rising food and labor expenses driven by inflation, aggressive competition, and shifts in consumer behavior. 

The changes in customer habits shouldn’t be underestimated. In fact, it could have been expected that consumers would start dining out less, considering that dining out has become 3.8% more expensive in May 2025 than in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Further, the U.S. restaurant industry’s sales forecast has weakened; 2025 revenues are projected to hit $478 billion, up just 2.8% from 2024, which is the lowest annual increase in 10 years outside the 2020 pandemic slump, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, citing a report from Technomic.

Categories struggling the most include:

• Burgers 
• Sandwiches 
• Pizza 
  Source: Nation’s Restaurant News 

Major restaurant chains that closed or downsized in 2025 include: 

• Bahama Breeze: Closed 15 of its locations in May 2025. 
• Joe’s Crab Shack: The chain used to have nearly 150 restaurants nationwide and now has under 20. 
• Bar Louie: Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025. 
• Patti Ann’s: Closed in 2025.
• Denny’s: Continues closing restaurants and downsizing. 
• Hooters: Filed for bankruptcy in April 2025.

However, when a restaurant as old as Marra’s, which has been a part of the community for nearly a century, closes, it makes people wonder — who, then, has a chance for survival? 

Marra’s story: an immigrant’s dream, devotion, and special oven 

Marra’s story began in 1920, when Salvatore and Chiarina Marra came to America from Naples, Italy.  

This is a story of an immigrant with nothing in his pockets but a single coin and a big dream in his heart. Salvatore came to America and opened a restaurant with a noble goal of providing a better life to his family, according to Marra’s official website. 

Up until it closed, Marra’s was owned and operated by Salvatore’s grandchildren, who continued to follow the dream, cook up the original family recipes, and personally greet guests. 

“When you come to Marra’s, you not only eat some of the finest Italian food and award winning Pizza in the city, but you will be part of the Marra’s legacy. Marra’s has been visited by hundreds of celebrities through out the years, including Frank Sinatra, John Travolta, and Conan O’Brien, who come just to eat the food and visit the 'Original Brick Oven' that was designed and built by Salvatore himself with bricks from Mt. Vesuvius, reads the description on Marra’s About Page. 

The description further says, “That’s a taste people travel miles to experience.” 

D’Adamo noted that Mara’s oil-fired brick oven may no longer be restorable, as the life of bricks is about 100 years, and the inside was already repaired two years ago. “The oil flame is so hot that the bricks are now pulverizing,” he said. 

Salvatore’s first attempts to bake Neapolitan pizza were unsuccessful, and he blamed it all on the ovens. To make pizza that met his standards, he made sure to have the oven lined with lava bricks from Mount Vesuvius that radiate and retain heat. 

Marra’s first pizzeria opened in 1924 at Eighth and Christian Streets in South Philadelphia, but in 1927, the couple acquired a shop at 1734 E. Passyunk Ave. and moved operations, dismantling the oven brick by brick and rebuilding it there. 

Celebrities who once visited Marra’s pizzeria: 

• Frank Sinatra
• John Wayne 
• Mickey Rooney
• John Travolta
• Conan O’Brien 
• Al Martino
• Jimmy Darren 
• Eddie Fisher 
• Bobby Rydell
• Eugene Ormandy 
• Frankie Avalon 
  Source: Inquirer 

The location will house a differentrestaurant; hopes for Marra’s remain 

The restaurant building was sold to Dan Tsao, owner of EMei, a popular Philadelphia Chinatown restaurant renowned for its authentic Szechuan cuisine. Tsao plans to open a second location there. 

"Our projected opening is currently planned for summer 2026 or later," a representative with EMei told Philly Voice via email. 

EMei is often considered one of the best Szechuan restaurants in the city, praised for its extensive and authentic menu.

Related: Beloved regional Mexican restaurant abruptly closes all locations

Still, hopes for Marra’s pizzeria are not all gone. The family says it is looking for a new location. 

Robert D’Adamo and cousin Maurizio DeLuca, who became owners in 2000, shared that they were ready to continue with “the same love that has always defined us — just in a location that better serves our guests.”

For Mario D’Adamo Jr., closing is very painful, as the restaurant became "part of your DNA.” 

“We used to close at 2 or 3 in the morning. My whole life, I heard the jukebox playing Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett. I still go to bed late because of that. Some of my earliest memories are my father coming up the steps, tired, smelling like the restaurant, folding his apron over the banister,” D’Adamo Jr. said. 

Longtime Marra’s customers saddened by closure 

The news of the pizzeria's closure quickly reached social media, where its longtime customers expressed sadness over the shutdown. On this Reddit thread, overall sentiment is mixed, though many also shared criticism of what happened to Marra’s in recent years. 

Some users argued that the restaurant’s quality dropped after 2020, and that Marra’s was holding onto its legacy. 

“They were coasting on reputation and goodwill for decades," user MikeDPhilly wrote. "Their pizza used to be great in the restaurant but by last year, it was mid level thin crust at best. Seriously though, it's a shame. I'm pushing 60 and can remember when it was the classy place you took your family to after the baby's christening.” 

Others focused on nostalgia and recalled personal or family memories tied to the restaurant. 

“I went to Marra's my whole life," shared user tonytrov. "Sad to see it go. Honestly this place should be printing money with that location and classic South Philly vibe. The authenticity of this type of place is what Palizzi Social Club is trying to replicate. I'm pretty sure they even have an event space on the second floor. Total loss for old South Philly.” 

Related: Fast-casual restaurant chain closes all locations in major makeover