By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Greenfield, MA) Greenfield’s Village Pizza owner, Chris Balis, announced Monday that his family will be selling the famed restaurant after almost 50 years. His father bought the restaurant in 1974 from the first owner, Teddy, who opened Village Pizza in 1961.
The Balis siblings took over when their parents retired in 1988. Over the years Village has become a local treasure, recently celebrating 60 years of business with a block party in 2021 that raised over $11,000 for The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and to Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The Balis’ found someone who will continue to serve family recipes. Walter Pacheco will be taking over the business in January with his family. Pacheco has over 30 years of experience in the pizza business including owning Antonio’s Pizza in Amherst.