Savor that slice of Arinell Pizza a little more than usual when you stumble home drunk tonight. It’s likely the last you’ll get in the Mission.
“Closing,” reads a message pinned to the pizza window display. “Last day: Sat. Sept. 10th.” The 33-year-old pizza joint, which also has a spot in Berkeley, closes the Mission District location due to staffing issues, according to the sign.
Already, at least one heartbroken and perhaps slightly inebriated customer posted a picture of the sign on social media with a sad winky face and a simple “bye.”
Owner Ron Demirdijian was not immediately available for comment, but a staff member did confirm today is the last day for the Valencia Street joint.
But even before the news was announced, the writing was on the wall regarding Arinell’s closure. Demirdjian bemoaned how the pandemic drastically slowed business and caused him to run the shop at a loss for two years.
Last spring, Demirdjian stopped operating Arinell’s on Mondays and Tuesdays, and cut its hours back to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.
“The model for the business for being successful was for people to get really drunk … hop bar to bar, and eat Arinell Pizza,” Demirdjian told Mission Local in April, when closing the business was still a tossup.
When rumors swirled that Arinell’s would close, residents rushed to eulogize it on Instagram. “I would dog pizza pies here after a good night out in the mission. RIP,” one commenter wrote.
“Best pizza in SF, and closest thing we have to authentic NY style pizza. Been going here for 15 years,” another said.
If you’re still craving Arinell’s pies, visit or order from its location in Berkeley.
Arinell Pizza is located at 509 Valencia St. near 16th St. Hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Long live Arinell Pizza and Ron Demirdjian. Here’s a little pizza doc I made made featuring Arinell way back in the day. This guy really inspired me.
Hey Its me, Neil, the server in the picture and in the interview. You dont know what you’ve got until its gone. SF will never be the same. RIP Arinell.
Thank you! I went there as a child back in 1990.
always loved your pizza Neil, as did my kids, it is definately going to be missed
Has Factory -to-you outfit closed? It was between 22nd & 23rd Streets on Mission.
Yes, sadly. We wrote about that a little while back.
JE
Devastating loss for the neighborhood. Great vibes. Great tunes. A slice this NY transplant would be happy to discover. Wish they had embraced delivery during covid but I get that it just wasn’t consistent with their vibes. The mission is not is a great spot. Hopefully the ‘loin vibes get reversed.
I don’t get why people hold New York pizza up as the standard, it’s greasy and it sucks.
You’re missing out.
Terrible horrible awful news! One of a kind!
Not exactly one of a kind. The original location is in Berkeley and has about the same vibe. Only it’s more a student and downtown worker hangout that doesn’t rely on late night entertainment to bring in customers.
I’ll miss Arinell, but I already do: it had really gone downhill since the pandemic started.
Pre-pandemic, I had so many good slices there.