Peace of Pizza says Metra project hurting non-profit’s business, grand opening plans

A non-profit group is worried that the temporary forced closures of its new South Side restaurant will detrimentally effect its upcoming grand opening plans and initial efforts to raise proceeds to curb gun violence.

Peace of Pizza, at 1801 W. 95th St., was forced to shut it doors July 17 after Metra blocked off roads directly across the business in order for the transit agency to make repairs to a rail crossing on 95th Street and Wood Street.

While residential traffic is allowed, the sidewalk and street where Peace of Pizza is located is completely inaccessible.

The Metra project is expected to be completed by 7 a.m. Saturday.

But Tamar Manasseh, founder of Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings, and the Peace of Pizza, said it has thrown the restaurant’s July 31 grand opening plans in disarray.

She said she is losing money everyday and is forced to discard rotting food.

“If we would’ve been notified ahead of time, we wouldn’t have opened when we opened,” said Manasseh said of the soft opening that took place between July 13 and July 17.

“We would’ve waited until the beginning of August to open but we received no mail, no letter, nothing.”

The restaurant, which aims to help teenagers gain work experience and support M.A.S.K. in its efforts with violence prevention in Englewood, raised nearly $4,500 in revenue during its soft opening.

Metra spokesperson Meg Reile said while mailers to businesses and residents living along repair zones weren’t sent, there were street signs posted two weeks ahead of the project’s start date.

Provided Photo

“I mean this is normal work that we do,” Reile said. “This is a 10-day project … We’ll be in, we’ll be out and we probably won’t be back there for anything major for another decade.”

Replacing of rail crossings are important for the safety of riders and smooths the road for drivers to pass through, Reile stressed.

A traffic detour has been designated near 95th Street between Western Avenue and Ashland Avenue.

Meanwhile, the frustrated Manasseh hopes she can reopen soon while trying to keep the young employees hopeful.

“I look like a liar in front of the young people I’m trying to show that as long as you work hard you can leave the street behind,” she said. “They don’t understand that this [Metra project] is out of my control, they just see it as another opportunity lost.”

Manny Ramos is a corps member of Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of Chicago’s South Side and West Side.