Late nights in Houston just got a little duller with the abrupt closure of Love Buzz Pizza Pub in the city’s Montrose neighborhood. But the owner said keeping the edgy, 90s-inspired pizzeria going simply isn’t feasible anymore.

Sam English told Culture Map Houston that competition from restaurant chains has gotten too stiff, and operating costs are just too high.

English announced the pizzeria’s immediate closure—“due to extenuating circumstances”—on social media on May 13. And just like that, Love Buzz Pizza Pub’s doors were shuttered. On Instagram, the announcement prompted a deluge of responses, including 1,239 likes and 329 comments from patrons lamenting Love Buzz’s untimely demise.

Related: This NJ pizzeria grew revenue 15% by adding a ghost kitchen

“In Montrose, it’s not as much mom-and-pop stuff anymore,” English explained to Culture Map Houston. “We’ve been overtaken by national and regional concepts. I’ve had to raise my prices three or four times since the pandemic.”

Love Buzz was known for serving customers all the way to 2 a.m. (“Buy a drink, get a slice! We are open late af!” the pizzeria boasted) and kept them eating and drinking with pinball machines and video games. English’s team also baked up 14 signature pizzas with offbeat names like The Hamburglar (ground beef, mozzarella, bacon, onions and pickles with a swirl of mustard on a sesame seed crust) and the Stankonia (anchovies, mozz, roasted garlic, chevré and caramelized onions).

Prices ranged as high as $26.50 for large versions of pies such as the Montrasaurus Rex (pepperoni, mozz, bacon, salami, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage and pepperoncini) and the Spittin’ Venom (fresh jalapeños and habañeros, oven-roasted chicken, bacon, provolone, chipotle honey and a squeeze of lemon).

“It comes to a point where you’re selling a $30 pizza,” English said. “It becomes unreasonable.”

A lack of parking around his pizza shop didn’t help, he also noted.

But the Love Buzz concept might live on if English can find a partner or investor to bring it to another neighborhood. “I’d always be open to doing another one under the right circumstances,” English told Culture Map Houston. “I think it has potential.”

“We need something at my level,” he added. “There’s a lot of bougie pizzerias out there. I like that Love Buzz is accessible. That’s our whole thing.”

Just how un-bougie was Love Buzz? Its website’s online ordering button took you to a Square site called eatpizzasmokeweed.

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