There’s a bit of good news for pizza lovers in Old Forge and those across the entire area and beyond.
On Friday in a simple post to Facebook, Ghigiarelli’s Restaurant announced their plans to reopen.
“Thank you for your continuous support throughout the years even while we’ve been closed! Keep an eye out for updates on an opening date for take out,” the post read.
Immediately visitors took to the Facebook, with hundreds of comments reading, “This is great news” and others sharing a memory of visiting the business.
The reopening marks not just the return of a eatery serving up its signature square pizza and other Italian food, but the overcoming of a history marked by the murder of their beloved patriarch Robert Baron in 2017 which forced its closure.
The case remained unsolved until Justin Schuback was arrested in March of 2023, after authorities cracked the case with cellphone range-to-tower data that showed his phone at key locations at the time of Baron’s murder.
During the week-long trial the summer of 2024, not only did prosecutors make a solid case for Schuback’s guilt, they also painted a picture of Baron’s commitment to the restaurant and the public’s appreciation of its good food and atmosphere.
Family members testified about Baron’s last days which revolved around operating the restaurant along with other family members.
A jury convicted Schuback of first degree murder, burglary and robbery in connection with the killing.
Now, it seems the shuttered restaurant will have a second chapter.
Plans for the reopening continue to take shape. But one thing is sure, Robert Baron’s legacy will live on in the restaurant he loved.