Graziano’s Restaurant in Niles plans to close within days.

Graziano’s Brick Oven Pizza, a popular, independently-owned Italian restaurant on Touhy Avenue in Niles featuring wood-fired pizza, will be ending its nearly 30-year run later in the month, its owners announced.

Graziano’s has offered an extensive menu with appetizers, salads, pastas, entrees, sandwiches, burgers and its well-known pizza. It got a favorable writeup from the Chicago Tribune in 1997. A Tribune reporter inquired whether the appetizer pizza was sized like a tapa. “Nothing is tapa-sized here,” the waiter responded with a laugh. “All our portions are over the tapa!”

Manager Steve Demet said he and his wife Maria Gonzalez Demet, the owner, came up with the restaurant concept while in graduate school at Cornell University.

“We liked this location and knew we had to serve brick oven pizza because of its brick interior,” he wrote in a statement. “We were the first restaurant in Chicago to serve wood fired pizza made in ovens fueled entirely by apple, cherry and oak hardwoods.”

Contrary to speculation on social media, DeMet said Graziano’s has always been successful and the closing is not related to Covid, high food costs or labor shortages.

“We weren’t driven out by high property taxes (although they are high) or government regulations,” DeMet said in a statement. “In fact our mayor, George Alpogianis, the board of trustees and the entire village of Niles have been extremely supportive and helpful during this transition.”

Demet indicated he will repurpose the property for a “higher and better use, one that will generate significantly more tax revenue as well.” He said he can’t discuss details but that news will be forthcoming.

According to Village of Niles spokesperson Mitch Johnson, a Discount Tire is planning to open at the address where Graziano’s is operating, but is going to be built in the parking lot. He did not know of any plans for the future of the Graziano’s building.

The building has had many incarnations. It was originally opened as the Red Balloon restaurant in 1960, then became Henrici’s in the early 1970s and Willoughby’s until about 1990 or 1991, according to Demet.

“We took over this property in 1993 when I was in my early 30′s,” Demet wrote. “At the time it was a derelict, abandoned building. It took us a year to completely gut the inside, install all new mechanicals, HVAC, roof, new kitchen and interior.”

Since its opening, patrons have had to wait for a table on many nights, especially weekends, and many local families held birthday, engagement and graduation parties, as well as funeral luncheons, at the venue.

The last day of service at Graziano’s will be Oct. 23, and every day until then, the restaurant will be holding a fundraiser for Advocate Medical Group’s Adult Down Syndrome Center. If patrons mention the fundraiser to their server, Graziano’s will donate 20% of their tab to the cause, according to its social media. DeMet advises dining before Oct. 23 because the restaurant is overbooked that night.

Demet said he and Maria have been humbled by the outpouring of support and well wishes they have received since they announced they were closing.

“Many of our customers reminisced about their past celebrations and how much the restaurant meant to them,” he wrote. “Many of our past employees have also posted about how they enjoyed working here. It has all been so very touching.”