After doing ‘all we can,’ Boise restaurant to close. Customers: ‘Nooooo!’ ‘This is awful’

Restaurants nationwide face a daily, life-threatening business struggle — simply to hire workers.

For a Boise pizzeria, the obstacle became too difficult to surmount.

Pizza Pie Cafe, 2757 S. Broadway Ave., plans to close after a final day Saturday, Oct. 29. The locally owned franchise restaurant, which serves all-you-can eat pizza, pasta and salad buffets, opened in 2015 at the Shopko Plaza.

Thanking customers, Pizza Pie Cafe announced the permanent closure “with deep sadness” on Facebook.

“There are a variety of reasons,” the owners explained, “but the biggest issue is not having the staff to run the store any longer. We’ve done all that we can, within our power, to hire crew, but to no avail. We are going to miss all of your smiling faces and are truly grateful for all of the love and support these last 7 1/2 years.”

Pizza Pie Cafe is particularly attractive to hungry, price-conscious diners and families. Nearly 200 Facebook comments piled up within four hours.

“Nooooooooooo! This is terrible news,” one commenter wrote. “We go here every week.”

“This is awful,” lamented another. “This is our favorite place to eat as a family. I can’t believe that a business that is busy every time we go is shutting down.”

“I’m so sorry, guys,” said another. “Pizza Pie cafe was amazing! No one wants to work anymore and wages are crazy.”

A regional franchise, Pizza Pie Cafe’s roots are in Rexburg. It operates around a dozen stores in Idaho and Utah. Four Gem State restaurants remain in Ammon, Pocatello, Rexburg and Twin Falls, according to its website.

Want one last trip through the buffet? Boise’s Pizza Pie Cafe plans to be open from 4 to 9 p.m. daily through Friday, Oct. 28, and then from 2 to 9 p.m. on its final day, Saturday, Oct. 29.

Online: pizzapiecafe.co.