Terry’s Pizza has closed, again. A rebooted south Huntsville version of the classic local restaurant announced its closure, effective immediately, today via Facebook. The post thanked customers “for your support over the years.”
The FB post notes Terry’s pizzas are still available in to-go and take-and-bake form via embedded counters in Star Market groceries at 702 Pratt Ave. N.E. and at 12078 Hwy 231/431 N. in Meridianville, and Reeves Drug Store at 125 N. 1st St. in Pulaski, Tenn.
A Sticky Fingers signature pie at Terry’s Pizza in Huntsville, Alabama. (Matt Wake/[email protected])Matt Wake
Signature Terry’s pizzas include the Sticky Fingers — sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms under a blanket of extra cheese on a crisp, thin and sturdy crust.
The newly closed Terry’s was at Bailey Cove Shopping Center, across the street from the former Grissom High School turned Sandra Moon Community Complex. The Terry’s space as previously to home Coffee Tree and Lizzy B’s Bakery and Deli.
The Bailey Cove Road location opened in 2018. It was the first standalone Terry’s restaurant with a dining room in 12 years. After the 2006 death of owner Lou Pejza at age 73, Terry’s Governors Drive, south Parkway and north Parkway locations folded.
The now-closed Bailey Cove Road location of Terry’s Pizza in Huntsville, Alabama. (Matt Wake/[email protected])Matt Wake
Pejza was a typewriter repairman who’d relocated to Huntsville from Chicago. He co-founded Terry’s original Governors location in 1959 with sister Theresa (for whom the restaurant was named) and brother-in-law Earl Alger. The business was built on Chicago-style pies.
Terry’s Pizza cofounder Lou Pejza. (Huntsville Times file photo)Huntsville Times file photo
After Terry’s original run, Star Market purchased the Terry’s Pizza name and recipes, and the local grocery has been making and selling carry-out and “take-and-bake” Terry’s pizzas out of its Five Points store since 2008. Star Market did an embedded, to-go Terry’s Pizza at its Bailey Cove grocery store too, until that grocery closed in 2014. Star Market was also behind the latest Terry’s standalone restaurant.
Exterior photo of the classic era Terry’s Pizza location on north Parkway. (File photo/Huntsville Times)File photo/Huntsville Times
In addition to dining room seating for around 80 customers, the Bailey Cove location had a drive-thru window. In addition to pizza, the restaurant served calzones, subs, spaghetti and lasagna.
It’s worth noting the eatery’s six-year run had the misfortune of including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and staffing challenges countless restaurants have faced in recent years. It hasn’t been great for iconic Huntsville businesses do-overs lately. Besides the Terry’s closure, a seven-years-in-the-works Tip Top Café redux failed to launch.
