REDWOOD CITY (KCBS Radio) — The popular 5th Quarter Pizza in Redwood City is turning off its oven - and shutting its doors for good after nearly four decades.
In the 1980s, the 5th Quarter was a hangout for San Francisco 49ers players. It remains a long time favorite of local families.
Hassan Jabbari has owned the pizzeria and sports bar on Woodside Road with his brother JJ since 1986.
The restaurant's future changed course when their landlord recently died. The heirs have another vision for the space, and have told Jabbari they must close up shop by the end of January.
The site was recently hit with an ADA lawsuit, and the owners don't want to make the fixes necessary to keep the restaurant going.
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"Because of the lawsuit for handicap access, they don't want to put all the money in here," Jabbari said.
But he's taken news of the coming closure in stride.
Jabbari has said the rent he and his brother paid wasn't a lot. He's appreciative of having the opportunity to do business for long.
"It's not that much money for a huge place," he said.
Jabbari and his brother will sell all their equipment and start a new, unspecified venture.
It's not the first time that Jabbari has started over.
He left Iran in the early 1980s during the revolution and came to the United States. He first worked for a cousin who owned a Round Table pizza restaurant before opening 5th Quarter.
Jabbari would have liked more notice of the planned closure, he said, but overall, he's content with the new direction his life has taken.
"I am so happy. I meet all these great people. I really appreciate all my customers," he said. "I build up all these nice relationships. I feel lucky, so to close up this place doesn't affect me, because I know I can do something else."
