Retro Milwaukie pizza parlor picks up and moves to new building, iconic neon sign in tow

A longtime Milwaukie pizza parlor has officially moved its red-and-white stripes a short drive down the road — and the towering neon sign outside will soon be blinking open for business.

>> Business opening or closing in your neighborhood? Email the reporter at


vnocera@oregonian.com


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Last December,

The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported

what seemed to indicate an upcoming move for

Pietro’s Pizza

, the chain that opened its downtown Milwaukie restaurant in 1969. The lot was sold to Bend-based apartment developer Pahlisch Commercial, the

Portland Business Journal reported

, and a “coming soon” sign had popped up at a new spot not too far away.

Well, the pizza parlor’s mysterious relocation is finally official.

Thursday is the first full day of business for Pietros’s new location at 11050 S.E. Oak St. in the Milwaukie Marketplace shopping center, an employee confirmed Thursday morning. In turn, the restaurant’s original location at 10300 S.E. Main St. has officially closed.

The Oak Street restaurant isn’t a perfect match to the original, but Pietro’s enthusiasts and Milwaukie residents are sure to recognize features that carried over from one building to the next.

Pietro’s Pizza’s original Milwaukie location on Southeast Main Street.

Michelle Brence

Pietro’s Pizza’s moved from its original Milwaukie restaurant into a new building on Southeast Oak Street.

Samantha Swindler

The new spot has a similarly funky exterior — less retro, more barn-style, with an eye-catching red-and-white color scheme and stripes adorning the window awnings.

And, of course, the huge, vaguely chef-shaped neon sign made the move to Oak Street, too.

Aside from its menu of thin-crust pizza, pasta, wings, beer and other pizza parlor staples, Pietro’s Milkwaukie restaurant is also known for its arcade, making it a go-to spot for children’s birthday parties.

Pietro’s Pizza in Milwaukie has a cool retro neon sign.

Michelle Brence

Pietro’s Pizza was founded in Longview, Washington, in 1957. At its peak, the chain operated about 80 restaurants across the Pacific Northwest, but after filing for bankruptcy in 1995, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse bought the chain and converted many parlors into BJ’s locations.

Longtime employees Ken Bay and Ray David

bought Pietro’s back

in 2004, and three locations remain — the Milwaukie restaurant, one in Hood River and another in Salem. A

Beaverton restaurant

closed in 2023.

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—Veronica Nocera covers retail and recalls news for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Is a business in your area opening or closing? Reach Veronica at


vnocera@oregonian.com


.

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