Every San Antonian has a restaurant that evokes childhood nostalgia. Some locals have been shocked to see one of their favorite buffet spots mysteriously closed.
The Texas-founded chain Cici’s Pizza currently has four locations in the city. But not long ago, it also served customers on the Northwest Side near De Zavala Road. After its Google status recently changed to “permanently closed,” customers started wondering what happened.
“This is very sad indeed,” one social media user wrote in response to the status change. “It was also my favorite location, it was much better than the others.”
“This is wild! They were receiving good Google reviews just four days ago,” another wrote.
A company spokesperson confirmed to MySA on Monday, October 5, that the 12822 I-10 location is no longer open. They added that Cici’s will continue to serve San Antonio at the following locations:
“We’re incredibly grateful to the team members who served our Cicis Pizza location at 12822 I-10 in San Antonio and to the guests and team members who made this location part of the community over the years,” the spokesperson said.
The I-10 eatery was located just three miles from UT San Antonio, offering major deals on pizza, salad, pasta, and dessert. It’s one of the rarely found buffets offering prices that start at around $9.99 for adults and $5.99 for kids.
“Oh man, that was my go to when I was in college 20 years ago,” a Reddit user wrote.
A company spokesperson told MySA that this restaurant opened in July 2005. Its closure brings its 21-year run to an end. The company did not respond to MySA’s request for comment on what led to the closure or its official shutdown date.
Cici’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2021, according to CNN, citing difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later, it announced it had “successfully emerged from Chapter 11 protection” after reorganizing and entering into an agreement to sell the company to D&G Investors.
Dining and Cooking