Gino’s East in St. Charles shuts its doors

ST. CHARLES – After 25 years, Gino’s East has made its final deep dish pizza pie in St. Charles.

It officially closed its doors at 1590 E. Main St. on March 13.

“The old place just needed to be retired,” owner Mike Reed said. “The floor is sagging; the plumbing here is 40 years old; the electric is old. The bar is old, and the bathrooms need to be redone. This old girl has been through a lot over the years.”

Reed’s been around for a long time as well. He started working for Gino’s East in 1983 and was the training manager in St. Charles when the restaurant opened in 1992. He will now be moving on to a different position at one of the Gino’s East locations in Chicago.

The closing has been a bittersweet one for Reed, who has countless fond memories in St. Charles, and certainly for the many local customers who have dined there.

“The saddest part was taking down a picture of myself from the wall, and I had a big afro and black beard,” he said. “Now I’m all gray. A lot has happened here in these past 25 years.”

Reed said social media have been inundated with comments from people inquiring about the closure and thanking him for years of delicious golden-crusted pies.

Would a remodel or relocation be feasible?

“It would be too cost prohibitive,” Reed said.

Another reason why relocation wouldn’t necessarily make a great deal of sense is that there’s another Gino’s East just 20 minutes away in Wheaton. Housed in a historical former fire house engine bay, it offers a unique ambience, as well as outdoor dining on a patio.

There are also countless pizza options remaining locally, something that Matthew O’Rourke, economic development division manager in the St. Charles Community and Economic Development Department, pointed out.

“We hadn’t received any official news of their closing, but the rumors have been around,” he said. “Fortunately, there are still a lot of options for pizza in St. Charles.”

That includes Pizzeria Neo, Charlie Fox’s and Pomodoro E Mozzarella, among others. Those looking for Gino’s East-style deep dish options can find them at Giordano’s in St. Charles or Lou Malnati’s in nearby Geneva, or make the short trek to the Gino’s East in Wheaton.