Popular Craft Beer Bar Will Shut Down to Make Way for More Pizza

King Street beer bar Closed for Business will actually close in the upcoming weeks to make way for neighboring pizza parlor Monza to expand. Restaurateurs Tim Mink and Brooks Reitz (Leon’s, Melfi’s, and Little Jack’s Tavern) will lead the project. They will tear down the walls between the two restaurants, rearrange the spaces, change up the menu, redesign the dining room, and add a full bar.

“We are changing the name to Monza Pizza Bar, and we envision it as the casual, lively, walk-in heavy little sister to Melfi’s,” says Reitz.

Once Closed for Business shutters, Monza will need to temporarily close for the reconfiguration of the spaces. Ovens will anchor the space with a pizza bar surrounding them. The team hopes to complete the work by the end of 2018.

As far as menu changes go, Reitz says, “We are going to tweak some of the Monza classics — the butter bean salad, the chicken scallopini, the Caesar —just make sure they are the best possible versions of themselves. The pizzas will remain the same, maybe with one or two additions. But the core pies will certainly remain.”

Monza Pizza Bar will also offer more small plates, pasta, and Italian cocktails.

Reitz explains the decision for the expansion:

The restaurants were always two concepts run out of one kitchen — which, as you can imagine, is complicated in a myriad of ways. I wasn’t involved previously, but Monza was always the ‘better’ business, and we felt like expanding and adding a full bar, exploring the great drinks available within the Italian style, was something that could take it to the next level. When I moved to Charleston, Monza was my favorite restaurant. I took my son for lunch every Saturday. It’s a great place that really led the charge of wood fired pizza in downtown Charleston, and I think it’s a great chance to take it to the next level.

Keep eyes here for updates on the closing and reopening.

• All Monza Coverage [ECHS]
• All Melfi’s Coverage [ECHS]