HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) — After decades in Homewood’s Edgewood community, a beloved pizza joint has closed.

Recently, Scott Moore and Lyn Saturday announced that New York Pizza, a Homewood staple since 1982, would be closing.

In a message posted on the restaurant door, Moore and Saturday said that over the Christmas break, they had decided to retire from the restaurant business, adding they weren’t sure whether or not to sell the business or lease the building, which covers 4,500 square feet.

“Whatever we decide, we want you to know how truly grateful we are for all of your support over these many, many years,” the statement read.

New York Pizza was the first restaurant in Edgewood, expanding in 2003 when they bought Ward’s Printing next door.

“We are part of Edgewood, and I don’t want that to change, even if we could make more money by selling the property,” Saturday told Samford University’s students newspaper, The Samford Crimson, in 2006.

Many took to social media to mourn the loss of the institution, including Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky.

“My best friend and I, and our families, ate there every Sunday night from elementary school until we graduated from HHS (Homewood High School),” McClusky wrote. “Our names, along with countless other Homewood locals, are etched into those original rustic picnic tables that adorned the original location.”

In his Facebook post, McClusky said he hopes Moore and Saturday can find someone to continue the New York Pizza tradition.

“Thank you NYP (as we affectionately refer to it in our family) for all the memories,” he wrote.

The closing of New York Pizza is one of several longtime Homewood establishments to undergo drastic change over the last few months. In October, Sam’s Super Samwiches owner Sam Graphos died, with the business relocating after its lease had run up at its 18th Street location.