Lu's Pizza reopens with a pizza cutting

GRAFTON — Mayor David DiVencenzo's big scissors weren't just cutting ribbons on Monday, they were cutting fresh pies from Lu's Pizza. The ribbon cutting marked the grand reopening of Lu's Pizza at it's new location. The pizza place closed in early April after a fire broke out in downtown Grafton. DiVencenzo said at the ribbon cutting that the pizza place's rebirth marked a turning point for the downtown area. "This marks our first step at restoring our downtown district," he said. The mayor thanked the new owners, Elaine and Jim Brown, for bringing the pizza place back, and said he hoped more of the closed businesses would soon follow. The ribbon cutting ceremony was at 4 p.m., but not everybody in Grafton could wait that long. Kirk Hirschfelder and his daughters, Kayla and Samantha, found out it was open, and made sure to stop by before soccer practice. Kayla Hirschfelder said she was glad Lu's Pizza was back, since many people didn't know if it would open back up. She said the return of the neighborhood staple meant she didn't have to miss its pizza anymore. Kirk Hirschfelder said he remembered seeing Lu's original location when it was on fire. He said he hadn't eaten a pizza since, and was waiting for Lu's Pizza to come back. "The pizza is just as awesome as I remember it," he said. Lu Bohac-Capp came to the ceremony to see her pizza place come back. She said it took a lot more to open this time than when she first started Lu's Pizza in 1977. "My daughter (Elaine) worked hard to put this together," Bohac-Capp said. Bohac-Capp said she worked in a pizza place in Elyria, before realizing she should start her own place instead of working for somebody else. Eventually her son, Scott Bohac, took over the business, who decided to retire after the fire. Elaine Brown then decided to continue her mother's legacy and buy and reopen the restaurant. Elaine Brown said all of the support from Grafton and nearby communities has been overwhelming. She said she was up until 4 a.m. the night before putting the finishing touches on the new location. She said Lu's Pizza will be open 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Thursday through Saturday it will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday it will be open noon to 9 p.m. Contact Sean McDonnell at 329-7148 or smcdonnell@chroniclet.com.