Village Pizza back in Carpentersville

Village Pizza and Pub was a Carpentersville mainstay for more than 30 years before Mike Sarillo closed in 2009 instead of signing a long-term lease. The closing was always temporary, though, and a newly constructed Village Pizza will reopen today.

Sarillo will host Carpentersville Village President Ed Ritter Thursday at 11 a.m. for the first slice of pizza at the new location, 145 N. Kennedy Drive, right next to the old location.

A grand new Village Pizza and Pub opened in Elgin in 2007 but Marcie Sarillo said they never wanted to leave Carpentersville. When they lost their lease, the husband and wife team decided to rebuild.

“We're well established. We're like an icon here,” Sarillo said.

Village Pizza and Pub will compete with another grill and pizza place in their old location Lee's Pizza Lodge but neither business is worried about the competition.

Tracy Burnidge is the general manager of Lee's. He said he hopes Village Pizza's reopening brings more business to that side of Carpentersville. He said his menu is different enough to stop direct competition between the pizza places.

“If two restaurants can't make it over here, there's something wrong,” Burnidge said.

The Sarillos are counting on their good reputation and decades of success to keep their restaurant afloat.

One employee, Magda Zapart, started working at Village Pizza in Carpentersville when she was 16. After a short time at the Elgin restaurant, Zapart is ready to return to Carpentersville, along with many of the neighbors, if the calls to Elgin are any indication.

“Every other phone call was, ‘When is the Carpentersville place going to open?'” Zapart said.

Starting Thursday, everyone will find out whether the community can support both businesses.