So after years of speculation and maybe hundreds of rumors, August 6th will mark the day Long Island says goodbye to one of the longest running pizza places in Suffolk County – Aegeans Pizza, one of the last remaining stores inside a now almost completely desolate Sun Vet Mall.
Aegeans, where you got a slice and a fountain soda after dispersing most of your allowance into one of 30 different stand up arcade machines at the neighboring Subway video game den.
Aegeans, where mom would stop and get us all gyros after shopping at Rainbow.
Aegeans, the easiest way to feed a bunch of amped-up kids after the annual family picture with the Easter Bunny or Santa.
Aegeans, a no-brainer if you wanted that delicious old school pizza style.
It has been there in that same spot, second store down in the far wing of the Sun Vet mall since 1976 and outlasted Pathmark, Toys R Us, AC Moore, and if you wanna go back far enough, Rickels. It’s to be expected to see small businesses pack it in considering the state of our economy and a loss of interest in brick and mortar in general.
Sure, the food services bring a hot pie directly to your doorstep, but a small little place like Aegeans loses the chance of Dad being hungry for an extra slice or the kids hounded their parents into a Marino’s Italian Ice from their freezer. Those little things added up and aren’t factors in today’s “deliver it to my house so I don’t have to get dressed” mindset.
While it’s easy to understand, it’s hard to accept… but 46 years is one heck of a run for a little pizza shop inside of a mall that really hasn’t been much of one in two decades.
We still have five days until they close their doors for good, so maybe I’ll meet you down there for a slice.