High rent pushes out popular pizza shop

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A longtime University of Texas campus favorite is moving out.

The Mr. Gatti’s Pizza on MLK Boulevard will leave its location of 40 years on May 28.

A marquee outside the restaurant thanks customers and also simply explaines that “We lost our lease.”

Gatti’s management did not elaborate further other than to say an agreement with owners could not be worked out. 

Jeremy Barta fundraiser

The pizza chain is taking advantage of the opportunity to offer kid pricing for everyone until the restaurant closes. The business will also hold an auction for all the memorabilia on the wall. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Jeremy Barta Memorial Account.

Barta was a manager at the Mr. Gatti’s Pizza location killed in a recent Cap Metro Rail accident.

Nick Nelson with Keller Williams Commercial said that rent for businesses in the UT area are skyrocketing in much the same way as that of residential rent.

“When rents continue to increase, it is going to compound and impact businesses in general," he said.

In the West Campus area, there is plenty of open office space available inside mixed-use developments.

Customers spending their lunch breaks at Mr. Gatti’s said managers were informing everyone of the move.

“We come here almost twice a week,” said Jeffrey Romero. “We are going to miss it. Wish it could stay open.”

A search through city of Austin open records showed a site plan under the name “Chick-Fil-A” for the building Mr. Gatti’s is leaving.