Nico’s Pizza and Pasta in Danbury Closes Doors Again

Last summer was a roller coaster of emotions for customers of Nico's Pizza and Pasta on Main Street in Danbury.

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First, there was a sudden closure in June of 2021. Next, they announced they were closing for a short time but they'd re-open, possibly under new ownership. Then, they announced the business was for sale and finally, it was sold.

All of those things happened between June and August of 2021. When Nico's opened back up, it was with new owners. I asked around to get an idea of how the business would be run and by whom, I was not given any clear answers.

I decided I'd give the new place a shot, and it was a bit odd. They decided to make it a fusion place, they sold Asian food and Pizza. They called it "East meets (Nico's) Pizza & Hibachi."  We tried the pizza, and the the Asian food, and it was OK. It was not the same as the pizza remembered from Nico's, but it would suffice in a pinch.

That pinch came this past weekend when I wanted to hangout with my Dad. He and my mom were coming over and they wanted to walk to dinner and get some pizza. My wife and I live just off Main Street in Danbury, so if we were insisting on pizza and walking, that meant Nico's.

We walked up to the door and it was locked. The locked door was accompanied by a Lease sign. Nico's is closed again, and this makes me sad, again.

As a person who takes pride in his community (Danbury) and likes to support local business, it makes me melancholy to see a local restaurant close. It's also been an agonizing, long-term closing. We're closing, we're open, we're for sale, we're sold, AND we are closed again.

I can tell you this much, when Nico's was open and run by George, it was one of the best slices you could get in the Hat City. George and the crew ran Nico's for 18 years, but like so many family businesses, they became victims of COVID-19.

We'll be unwrapping the financial devastation of COVID for decades.

P.S. It is time for more restaurants and bars downtown. There are people downtown that want to walk to dinner and handover money to do so. It looks like the worst of COVID is in the rear view, so it could be the right time to open.

There are some in the Downtown already, don't get me wrong. Empire of the Incas, Two Steps and Los Rivera Café are all open, and great options but they need neighbors. Downtown Danbury could be a destination for dinner the way restaurant row is, on the West side of Danbury.