Pucillo’s Pizza & Pasta, at 1032 South 5th Ave., served its customers from Lebanon County and beyond for the last time on Nov. 1. And it was business as usual for Pucillo’s until they closed their doors.
Between settlement and packing up, Siobhan Pucillo-Hetrick, former owner of the Italian restaurant, and her daughter, Gina Pucillo-Helm, took some time to speak with LebTown.
Pucillo-Hetrick discussed their decision to close after almost 30 years in business.
“We just felt that it was just kind of time to move on and do something else,” she said. “Things, as you know, in the economy aren’t so great. And we just thought, you know, we would rather get out now while we have a great reputation. So, that was really the only reason.”
Pucillo-Hetrick added, “[Pucillo’s] was a long staple in the community. We were very generous with the community. We made a lot of donations. We were well-known.”
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“We made a lot of friends along the way. Our customers became like family,” she said. “And it was, you know, very hard to shut the doors for the last time.”
Pucillo-Helm reflected on her experience growing up with the family business.
“The most fond memories I have at the shop and growing up there is being able to create such a special bond with my dad and being able to spend time with him every day,” she said. “As a little girl, I used to love to watch him make pizza, and I used to love walking into the shop because his smile was the first thing you would see when you walked in the door. It was amazing to see the bonds he created with the customers.”
Pucillo-Helm continued, “A piece of my heart will always be with Pucillo’s. After we lost my dad, it was nice being able to work beside my mom and create such a special bond with her, and then being able to work beside my stepdad. It was nice to have the family time and be together while we ran such a great business.”
Read more: We saved you a bite: Pucillo’s Pizza & Restaurant (Lebanon Valley Food Critics)
“I’m proud of my mom and stepdad,” she concluded. “I think the most success, love, and most support was during COVID. Keeping our doors open during COVID and coming out of COVID with a still standing and successful business was so rewarding.”
Looking towards the future, Pucillo-Hetrick is currently staying local to care for her father, who is sick, but she plans to move south.
The former Pucillo’s Pizza & Pasta has since become Angelo’s Pizza, owned by Bobby Angelo and Lindsey Angelo Reynolds.
The establishment will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. to serve starters, salads, cold and hot subs, wings, burgers, dinners, stomboli calzones, and pizza. Due to staffing, they will be closed temporarily on Mondays starting in December. Angelo’s will deliver to Lebanon, Myerstown, and Schaefferstown areas, depending on the size of the order.
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