Christina Vogel, owner of Donatos Pizza, is closing one of her three Erie-area locations. The restaurant at 861 E. 38th St. will shut down on September 9. Vogel opened this location in December 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in what was formerly Burhenn’s Pharmacy.
The restaurant offered 58 seats for dining in, but with pandemic restrictions, few customers used this space. Instead, the focus shifted to takeout and delivery, which thrived during the pandemic. However, with fewer dine-in customers, Vogel decided to close this location.
Vogel explained that after opening, state restrictions on indoor dining due to COVID-19 limited operations. The location has the largest dine-in area of her three restaurants, but it never saw the expected traffic.
The lease for the E. 38th St. location ends this year. Vogel chose September 9 for the closure to help transition her staff to her other two Donatos locations at 1535 W. Eighth St. and 4829 Buffalo Road in Harborcreek Township. This timing also aligns with many employees returning to school.
Donatos’ corporate office agreed to maintain the current delivery area by redistributing it between the remaining locations. Vogel stated that the delivery team, which consists of around 10 drivers, will remain unchanged. Overall, she expects to lose only one or two of her 35 employees during this transition.