Bay Area pizza chain faces eviction from Stonestown Galleria

The Stonestown Galleria is evicting a 45-year-old Bay Area chain known for serving greasy, oversize slices of 100% beef pepperoni pizza.

The mall filed a lawsuit Jan. 27 to evict Blondie’s Pizza from its food court, claiming the pizza shop owes more than $74,000 in rent. The location, which opened in 2022, signed a 10-year lease with the mall. 

According to the lawsuit, the mall in recent months has issued a default notice demanding payment, followed by a pay-or-vacate notice that gave Blondie’s 15 days to settle its balance before facing eviction.

Blondie’s remains open.

Despite the downward trajectory of some malls in San Francisco, Stonestown Galleria is thriving as a foodie haven, housing newcomers like French-Vietnamese restaurant Le Soleil, as well as longstanding spots like Tang Bar. Recent store openings include Designer Shoe Warehouse, eyeglass retailer Jins, and H&M. 

A spokesperson for Stonestown Galleria declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

Blondie’s Pizza was founded in 1980 by Berkeley entrepreneur Ken Sarachan. The 20-inch pizzas were a hit with hungry, not-so-sober Cal students, quickly elevating the shop to cult status. 

Sarachan sold the business in 2016 to a longtime employee, Abdul Zaloukh, who did not respond to a request for comment. 

Over the years, the chain expanded to three locations, while weathering a series of name changes — including a short and unsuccessful stint as Abe’s Pizza (opens in new tab).

It also faced investigations from the Public Health Department. A Powell Street location was temporarily shut down (opens in new tab) over a cockroach infestation in 2016, then closed for good the same year.