Captain Tony’s Pizza and Pasta Emporium in Winfield has closed and a Gambino’s Pizza will open in that building, possibly by the end of this month.
John Butters – who with his wife, Debra, ran the eatery for nearly six years – said the restaurant closed Aug. 29 and the sale was finalized Sept. 1. The Butters sold the business and equipment, but remain owners of the building at 1400 Main, which houses four other tenants.
"We got a good, fair offer and we took it," John Butters said. "I guess we got the call maybe in July, from someone interested in putting a Gambino’s here, and from there it really took off."
Butters said he and his wife plan to take some time off before deciding what comes next.
A sign on the door of Captain Tony’s still indicates the owners are on vacation, but Gene Suellentrop, president of Gambino’s, said work has begun to remodel the building and reopen it.
A former Gambino’s location on north Main closed in recent months. The company has been interested in reopening in Winfield since the shuttering of the former location, Suellentrop said.
All Gambino’s restaurants are independently owned and operated. Mike Hood will be the franchisee in Winfield. He owns another location in Alva, Okla.
While the Captain Tony’s building had been listed for sale for some time, Butters said he hadn’t considered selling the restaurant until this offer came along.
"It wasn’t for sale," he said. "But we got to talking about it and it just happened, fast."
