The Short & Sweet Life of Vertillo's Pizza

In April 2019, Steve and Marlene Patrick moved their pizzeria from Thorsby (a small town south of Birminham where they had been for 19 months) to Sheffield. The 312 North Montgomery Avenue building had been home to Rhoda P's until that eatery moved to a larger location farther north in the city. Sheffield was eager to have the building occupied, and the Sheffield Redevelopment Authority footed the bill for new tables and chairs. For those who claimed the City didn't offer Vertillo's needed help, we're going to at least partially disagree.

Thirty months later, Vertillo's closed the Sheffield location, moving to a larger building on Florence Boulevard. Photos indicate the tables and chairs went with the owners.

Vertillo's officially opened in the former Pizza Hut location on October 20, 2021. The eatery officially closed on October 26, 2022. 

For those looking for a rationale to the establishment's closing, there probably isn't one single factor. Like most businesses, their choices were not always popular, but the pandemic logically played a much larger role in sinking the small pizzeria than missing posters, stolen flags, and wife beaters. 

We do have to ask if the Sheffield Redevelopment Authority will now reclaim the furnishings?

Note: 10/29 - Per Kim Auld who identifies herself as a friend of the owners, new furniture was purchased for the Florence establishment. The furniture purchased by the Sheffield Redevelopment Authority was placed in basement of Montgomery Avenue location unclaimed. 

Sheffield Refuses to Help Business Owners?

 

Which is more important to a city: cleaning up eyesores or bringing in new business? Surely the former would help encourage the latter?

It hasn't been that long ago that John Elkington had to tell the City of Sheffield to clean up its main entrances to help promote the Inspiration Landing Project. At this point, IL seems to be the holy grail for Sheffield - nothing else matters.

Restaurants come and go in any town, but Sheffield has seen more than its share. A reader has commented: Vertillo's Pizza is moving into the old Pizza Hut on Florence Blvd. The owner stated something about '...the City of Sheffield refusing to help business owners'????

We're sure many in Florence are delighted to see Vertillo's arrive in Florence. We're also sure many in Lauderdale County would rather eat at Vertillo's than trek to an overpriced venue at IL. That is, if Inspiration Landing actually gets beyond food trucks at the Slag Yard.