The doors are locked and the sign is gone. After just one year, Andrew Z's Pizzeria is no more. Zepeda says, "I mismanaged every step of the way, anything I could screw up I did screw up."
But Zepeda says his restaurant is still busy. Zepeda says he missed three months rent totaling around $35,000. Zepeda says, "It's heartbreaking to not pay bills, worst feeling ever."
Zepeda says the landlord, Hill Partners out of North Carolina, worked with him to let him pay back the rent over time, but today he says he was evicted without notice "I'm sure legally they can do it, that's just a problem with an out-of-town company," says Zepeda.
Maxine Zepeda, co-owner, says, "For them to not provide notice is shocking." Zepeda, his mother and other friends and family invested almost $200,000 to start the pizzeria. Two other pizza places already failed. The Levis Commons restaurant employs 40 people.
Hill Partners Inc. said in a statement: "Andrew Z's Sportz Pizzeria is no longer a tenant at the Town Center at Levis Commons. As to the future of this retailer, we have not been made aware of their plans. Based upon future potential litigation as threatened by Andrew Z's, there will be no further comment."
