Rent Hike May Force Echo Park's Pizza Buona Out After 56 Years

Echo Park’s Pizza Buona is the latest casualty of citywide rent increases, as the 56 year old Italian restaurant is said to be shuffling off in search of a new home soon.

The Eastsider has a few more details on the relocation, having talked to Israel Palacios, one of the operators of the popular corner destination. According to him, a strong rent hike forced the half-century old restaurant to rethink some things; ultimately, ownership decided that a stiff bump in overhead simply couldn’t be absorbed by selling handmade pies. Instead, they’ll try to find a new home somewhere else.

Of course, this is all just a few short years after the restaurant owners were forced to make major changes to their building following a massive crash through the front doors (much like the recent accident that took out Osteria Mozza), as well as several ADA-compliant renovations.

As for future details on when Pizza Buona will officially close, and where they might once again pop up, those are still forthcoming.