While many homecoming traditions are expected to continue next year, one Bowling Green tradition will not. Myles Pizza Pub closed its doors for good on Sunday.
Chip Myles, owner of Myles Pizza Pub, opened the restaurant 39 years ago. Myles is closing up shop because of retirement.
“It’s just time, we’ve been doing it for all our lives and my wife and I just need a break, it’s just that time,” Myles said.
Rosie Losoya has worked with Myles for 16 years now, spending the first 15 of those years working at Dairy Queen, formerly owned by Myles.
“I’ll miss Chip,” Losoya said. “I work beside him, not for him. He’s an amazing man.”
Myles sold the Dairy Queen last year and has run other businesses throughout the years too.
“I’ve enjoyed all of our businesses. Our family has been in retail for over 70 years, we’ve just had a great time and it just had to come to an end,” Myles said.
At noon on Thursday, there were over 200 people in line waiting to put in their orders for one last taste of the popular pizzas and specialty breads offered by Myles Pizza. The line stretched out of the parking lot, and some patrons came prepared with lawn chairs and umbrellas.
Delfino Garcia was next in line at noon to place his order. Garcia worked at Myles Pizza for two years as a delivery driver when he moved to Bowling Green five years ago.
“You really don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” Garcia said. “I used to have it all the time, and now I’m never going to have it ever again.”
Garcia will not be the only customer missing Myles Pizza once it closes.
Kris Fauver graduated from the University in 1975, and was a regular patron of Myles. “I’ve been coming here I think as long as it’s been here,” she said.
On Thursday, her son-in-law, Jay Sharp, arrived at Myles Pizza at 8:15 a.m. and claimed place 31 in line. When the pizza shop opened at 11 a.m., there were over 300 people in line, Sharp said.
“They were brought up on this pizza,” Fauver said motioning toward her daughter and son-in-law.
The Sharps love the pizza so much that Fauver would bring half-baked pizzas to them when they lived out of state for a few years.
Sophomore Kahlie Paoletti and junior Brittany Mercer were last in line on Thursday, behind more than 200 people. They weren’t sure if they’d be able to stay in line long enough to order.
Paoletti had Myles Pizza Pub one time before the closing announcement was made earlier this week.
“I’ll fulfill my future cravings for pizza because I’ll never be able to do it again,” Paoletti said.
Mercer was hoping to get a half-baked pizza for her father.
“Maybe I’ll come back on Saturday at 8:30 in the morning and take a chair,” Mercer said.
On Thursday at noon, a cheese pizza order came with a two and a half hour wait, Garcia said.
“It all stays in the family,” Myles said regarding the pizza recipe.
The Myles Pizza building has already been sold and will open as a restaurant, Myles said.
Myles Pizza is “nothing but memories,” Losoya said. “This is not just affecting the community, this is affecting everyone, and you’re talking about all of the U.S.”
