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| Lucy's Pizzeria owner Geoff Padigimus tosses dough in the kitchen at their new location, where Winger's used to be. |
Lucy’s New York Style Pizzeria has relocated into the old Winger’s location at 2770 S. 25th East, a move that only brought them a little more space but a lot of other advantages.
Although they only have 270 more square feet than they did across Hitt Road, the floor plan allows them to seat 45 more people, owner Geoff Padigimus said.
The lease on their space in Ammon was expiring, but when they learned that Gator Jack’s was pulling out, “We decided to get over here for this building,” Padigimus said.
Most of the renovation was done in the kitchen. In the restaurant area, they added subway tile to give it a more Big Apple feel, and they rewrapped the tables with metal as well.
A native of Roberts, Padigimus started Lucy's there in June 2009. The first Idaho Falls location, at 725 E. Anderson opened in November 2009. The Ammon location opened in fall 2011, and there is a Lucy’s now in Orem, Utah, as well.
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| From one store in Roberts, Lucy's has expanded to four locations. |
Padigimus said his original idea was to do hot-and-ready pizza part time, but the recession and subsequent slowdown in the construction industry, in which he was employed, made him think again. So did his introduction to Rich Franco, who showed him how to make New York style pizza. In fact, Lucy's was named after Franco's bulldog, Lucy, and the pizza ovens and equipment came from Franco's kitchen on First Street.
The visibility of the new location, with a sign right on Hitt Road, ought to be an advantage, as will its next door proximity to Panera Bread in the old CD World store. Padigimus said the lease will soon be up on the Anderson Street store and that they are on the lookout for a new location on that side of Idaho Falls.
Other Hitt Road construction news
On the southwest corner of Hitt and Sunnyside, Skidmore Construction is moving dirt for a Washington Federal branch and three retail buildings.
The site plan at the Idaho Falls Building Department includes a 2,750 square foot building for financial use at at 3450 S. 25th East. The biggest building is an 18,480 square foot retail center, at 3352 S. 25th East, and there are two other retail buildings planned as well, a 7,020 square foot building at 3,340 St. 25th East and a 3,575 square-foot building at 3350 S. 25th East.
Meanwhile, on the north side of Sunnyside we have preliminary information on two projects. First, the building at 2940 S. 25th East, formerly the home of Syringa, is slated to be remodeled into a Car Wash Express. Second, despite what looks to be significant progress at the old CD World location, Panera Bread is looking at opening its Idaho Falls bakery-cafe this fall. That was the word at least from Amanda Cardosi, the company spokeswoman who responded by email to our question.
