Landmark Stan's Chitch's Cafe and Pizzeria in Bound Brook is closing

Stan's Chitch's Cafe, a Central Jersey landmark for more than a half century, is closing.

The legendary pizzeria on Columbus Place in Bound Brook is closing its doors on April 29.

Though Bound Brook has suffered floods, fires and economic downturns, Stan's Chitch's Cafe has always endured, a symbol of the town's resilience through adversity.

"Beating all the odds, we survived and have come out even stronger," Renee Kurkowski Cote, an owner, wrote on Facebook.

"It has never been easy, but our perseverance continued to shine bright," Cote continued.

The Kurkowski family took over the pizzeria in 1973 when Stan Kurkowski, Cote's father, bought Chitch's Cafe and added "Stan's" to the name.

A Polish immigrant, he died in 2015 but, as his obituary said, "he was dedicated to providing the best pizza to the multi-generations of customers that frequented his restaurant."

"Our family has had the honor to provide services to a community we deeply love and appreciate," Cote wrote. "We have made lifelong generational friendships that will last a lifetime."

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Cote admits the decision to close was not easy.

"This decision was one of the hardest our family has ever had to make, but we feel it's time," Cote wrote. "We are excited to move onto the next chapter of our lives and hope the decision comes with great understanding."

The family is in the process of selling its properties in downtown Bound Brook which is enjoying an economic renaissance after the completion of the Green Brook Flood Control Project, which floodproofed the downtown.

Chitch's Cafe, at one time, was the one of the few places, along with DeLucia’s Brick Oven Pizza in Raritan, where you could get a pizza in Somerset County.

It was a place where generations of families went for an impromptu meal or a celebration. It was the place where you went with your friends on a Saturday night.

"From our crazy Friday nights, to the endless stories of first dates – we are truly grateful to have been able to make such an impact on our community," Cote wrote. "It has been an amazing run."

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Stan's Chitch's Cafe pizzeria in Bound Brook NJ closing