On Saturday, April 12, a landmark in Kalamazoo near Western Michigan University’s campus was taken down—the iconic Bruno’s Pizza sign that had stood for 75 years. The removal paves the way for a new sign promoting “Ayasofya,” a Turkish restaurant that opened in December 2024 in the former Bruno’s Pizza location at 1528 W. Michigan Ave.
For Halil Dursunoglu, the owner of Ayasofya, the removal of the familiar sign was a bittersweet moment. “It was really sad,” he said. Dursunoglu, a WMU alumnus, fondly remembered visiting Bruno’s Pizza in 2013 with his wife. However, new city regulations required the removal of the old sign, as it no longer met updated code requirements. Faced with this choice, Dursunoglu opted to take it down rather than leave it unchanged.
After the sign’s removal, Dursunoglu noticed that customers were having difficulty finding Ayasofya without clear signage. “I was receiving phone calls asking for the exact location of the restaurant,” he shared.
To address this, a new illuminated red sign has been installed on the storefront, ensuring that Ayasofya is now easily identifiable. Dursunoglu worked with Midwest Sign Company, a Kansas City-based firm, to exchange the old Bruno’s sign for the new Ayasofya one. The company removed the Bruno’s sign and installed the new one at no additional cost, offering Dursunoglu significant savings.
Originally, Dursunoglu had listed the Bruno’s sign on Facebook Marketplace and reached out to local sign companies in Kalamazoo. The cost of removing the sign was initially quoted at $5,000, with a new sign estimated at $15,000. Thanks to the arrangement with Midwest Sign Company, Dursunoglu effectively saved $20,000.
Although he reached out to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum to see if the iconic sign could be preserved, there was no available space to house it. As a tribute to Bruno’s Pizza and its place in local history, Dursunoglu plans to create a memorial collage inside Ayasofya. Patrons are encouraged to bring in or send photos of themselves enjoying Bruno’s Pizza to be featured in the collage. Those who participate will also receive a complimentary dessert.
Ayasofya is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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