Pizza place sees 50% sales drop after road closes for Metrolinx work in Mississauga

A Mississauga pizza restaurant has seen a significant drop in sales after a Metrolinx construction project closed a road.

Amadio’s Pizza has been on Revus Avenue in Mississauga for 17 years and in the city for more than 30 years, owner Joe Leroux tells insauga.com. Amadio’s often makes top five pizza lists for its classic Italian-style pizza, which is handmade and stone-baked.

But a construction project for Metrolinx closed a section of Revus on Jan. 9, which is impacting business.

“We’re down a good 50 per cent in sales,” says Leroux.

Alectra Utilities is converting overhead circuits to underground circuits by installing cables under the railway for Metrolinx’s Regional Express Rail Program, according to Alectra. The work is on Revus Avenue from Marf Avenue to just south of the tracks, before the bend in the road.

The Revus Avenue rail crossing will be fully closed until May.

This closure makes it difficult for customers north of Revus and Marf to access the shop. Leroux says 90 per cent of his customers live north of the restaurant. Those who order pickup must drive south either on Hurontario or Cawthra and across Lakeshore to loop back north to get there.

“Coming here has become inconvenient,” he says.

Deliveries also take extra time, adding about a kilometre and a half to get around the closure.

Leroux says the drop in sales could also be due to the economic downturn and increases in food prices but he believes it is mostly the construction.

He recognizes the construction is necessary but wonders how long he can stay open with the reduced business.

“If it goes (down) anymore, it would be cheaper just to be closed.”

As a long-standing business in Mississauga, Amadio’s Pizza has supported the community over the years through food bank donations, sponsoring hockey teams and school pizza days.

And members of the community recognize that support and are stepping up for Amadio’s.

“Joe has supported so many in the past it’s time for us to pay it forward,” one customer wrote on Port Credit Friends Facebook group. “Please order some of his award winning pizzas…”

Leroux says he’s happy to have the support.

“It does make me feel really good that somebody did that, somebody posted that,” he says.

Amadio’s is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.