Erie County’s new executive has a lot on her plate.
When Christina Vogel, mother of three teenagers and owner of the Donato’s franchises in Erie, was elected in 2025 to run the county, she said she had hoped she could keep everything going. But she elected to close the 1535 Greengarden plaza location, according to a post on the pizzeria’s Facebook page on March 20. The location’s last day was Monday, March 23.
“I thought, with my new job as Erie County Executive, that I would be able to perform … all the duties of my new job and maintain the stores and take care of my kids and myself,” she said. “However, I have realized in the past 10 weeks that I simply cannot.”
Christina Vogel, franchise owner of Donatos Pizza, 1535 W. Eighth St., Erie, opened the west Erie restaurant in 2016. She is not renewing the lease at this location, after being named Erie County executive in 2026.
“The lease is up at the Greengarden location, and I have opted to not renew it,” she said. “I am closing the Greengarden location.
“I know that seems abrupt and I apologize,” she said. “It took longer than I expected to get approval from corporate.”
She said she plans to keep open the last of her three locations, 4829 Buffalo Road, in Harborcreek, and will honor all gift cards at that location. (Another of Vogel’s Donato’s restaurants, at 861 E. 38th St., which opened during the pandemic, closed in 2024.)
“(The Harborcreek location) will be open normal hours,” Vogel said in her post. “It has a cute dining room, a pickup window and the world’s largest pizza cutter ― so please come see us there!”
She said she’s not sad, but proud of her business experience, and the Harborcreek location will serve the downtown Erie neighborhoods.
“It’s only about eight minutes further in the opposite direction,” she said.
A side of experience
Vogel said her background in running businesses in Erie County gives her a unique outlook as county executive.
“I see how we have to be cognizant of what businesses need to survive,” she said. “Without them, they can’t provide employment.”
She added that she’s worried about the business climate not just in Erie, but across the nation. She said her most recent electricity bill at one restaurant has practically doubled in a year without her changing hours or menus. Her gas bill is up 72 percent.
“Also, labor is up, product is up. It’s really difficult to make it work,” Vogel said about small business owners. “I can see all sides of the issues (facing businesses in the current climate). And I have employees. I see how difficult it is. Everything is more expensive for them, too.
“I don’t know what the solution is,” she said. “But we have to find one.”
Contact Jennie Geisler at jgeisler@timesnews.com. Find her weekly newsletter at https://profile.goerie.com/newsletters/erielicious/.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Vogel hoped she could keep both Donato’s open, but it was too much