Beloved Tulsa Pizza Shop Announces Closure

One Tulsa pizza shop is closing after being in limbo with pandemic problems, reported KTUL News Channel 8.

Bobby O's owner Bobby Oertel said, "We currently have two employees. When it got to that, we started implementing an exit strategy, and that's where we're at now."

Oertel told KTUL that his dream of owning a pizza shop was just setting in when the pandemic hit. Ever since then, it's been nothing but problems. Oertel said, "It was like every time that we think we'd surmounted an obstacle, another would take its place."

Bobby O's is hitting a wall with higher costs on everything, including employees. Oertel said, "There's been a compounding over decades of employees just not getting paid enough money. They reality is, employers can be upset that folks don't want to come back and work for ten dollars an hour, but it's really hard to justify working for that wage."

Though Oertel is sad that the shop is closing, he says its the right time. He said, "I feel like I'm breaking up with about 4,000 girlfriends at this point because I have people coming in saying oh, I'm so sad. And I'm like it's me, it's not you. Change is always a little bit scary.”

Bobby O's will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., likely through Valentine's Day.