Good Friday tradition for local families put on hold due to coronavirus

A normally buzzing restaurant with locations in Upper Darby and West Chester will be closed during the COVID-19 crisis. Leaving many families missing out on their Good Friday traditions. FOX 29's Dawn Timmeney reports.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - The ovens are off. The pizza boxes empty. The normally buzzing kitchen at Pica's restaurant in Upper Darby and its West Chester location is quiet for the first time in over 75 years. They won't be serving up their famous square pizza on Good Friday.

"It would be very busy. The phones would be ringing and the pizzas would be constant nonstop," restaurant co-owner Lori Rosario told FOX 29. "It definitely makes our hearts very heavy."

It's been a Delaware County tradition for generations of families. Frank Pica III would normally be in the middle of all the action making the pies.

"It's very surreal just not having to prepare for a Good Friday with the pizzas," Pica said.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it just too risky to stay open even for takeout The restaurant is still decorated for Easter even though it's closed.

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The one bright spot is many customers are taking to the restaurant's Facebook page to share their memories and reminissing about Lori and Frank's father and their grandfather who started the restaurant in 1941.

"It's wonderful. It's heartwarming. It means so much to us," Rosario said.

The restaurant says customers have been really understanding and they can't wait until this is all over.

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