Several months ago, Colonial Pie Co. shut its doors on Richmond Road, closing up shop in the building formerly occupied by Cozy Patio at 1330 Richmond Road.
The red, white and black sign out front is now blank white, no longer boasting the slogan “Because round food is good food.”
Passersby may wonder what happened to the pie and pizza shop. After all, the shop has only been in business for less than a year.
Owner of the former Colonial Pie Co. Volkan Mukus said a dispute with the landlord over repairs needed in the building caused him to vacate in early May.
He went to the city of Williamsburg May 7 and officially closed the business, he said.
“What happened was I did not get along with the landlord there,” Mukus said. “The building is messed up.”
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Mukus’ father has owned Jamestown Pie Co. since 2007. Mukus said he has no immediate plans to reopen Colonial Pie Co. elsewhere, and will continue putting time and effort into work at Jamestown Pie. Co., on Jamestown Road.
Colonial Pie Co. opened in June 2018 featuring a menu similar to the one at Jamestown Pie Co. Many of Mukus’ recipes came from his father, who he called “the big chef” in an interview with WYDaily last year.
Mukus alleged the pie shop’s time in the building was spent dealing with several problems, including a leaky roof that resulted in buckets catching rainwater near customer tables. The air conditioning and electricity were also problematic.
“It was not good for my customers,” Mukus said, adding he would have been willing to stay in the location if he felt the landlord was making more of an effort to repair problems with the building. “I was not making enough money to support myself and my family.”
Attorney J. Stephen Roberts Sr., who is listed as property owner Diros Inc.’s registered agent in State Corporation Commission records, directed a WYDaily reporter to Colonial Pie Co. for questions about the business.
Mukus said he and the landlord are still in a dispute over whether he should pay May’s rent.
Before Colonial Pie Co., the gray, red and green building hosted the Cozy Patio Bistro.
In February 2018, the Cozy Patio Bistro abruptly announced it was closing its doors on Richmond Road.
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It reopened about a week later in the Clarion Hotel with a month-to-month lease.
The owner, Zinetta Jones-Cooper, said she believed the move would be a good one for business.
