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Bruno's

Born Boiler

Junior
Dec 6, 2006
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Word is that Bruno’s will close on Wednesday, February 7 -- already out of pizza dough -- due to the seven-story abomination that will destroy Bruno’s, Rubia Flowers and the old Travel Lodge.

Also heard Orlando’s kids don’t want to pick up the ball and keep going -- spoiled brats, and not wursts -- so it’s the end of a 69-year-old institution for Boilermakers.
 
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Word is that Bruno’s will close on Wednesday, February 7 -- already out of pizza dough -- due to the seven-story abomination that will destroy Bruno’s, Rubia Flowers and the old Travel Lodge.

Also heard Orlando’s kids don’t want to pick up the ball and keep going -- spoiled brats, and not wursts -- so it’s the end of a 69-year-old institution for Boilermakers.
Maybe, but just as likely they already know from personal experience that they don't want to deal with all that any more. LOTS of work that other people never see or appreciate.
 
Maybe, but just as likely they already know from personal experience that they don't want to deal with all that any more. LOTS of work that other people never see or appreciate.

Work, true, but following a long-proven formula. Orlando filled his dad’s shoes with a passion that produced a museum of Purdue memorabilia, personalized for him by everyone from Neil Armstrong to John Wooden. Then, from the generation that benefitted most … adieu.
 
Work, true, but following a long-proven formula. Orlando filled his dad’s shoes with a passion that produced a museum of Purdue memorabilia, personalized for him by everyone from Neil Armstrong to John Wooden. Then, from the generation that benefitted most … adieu.
They’ve had weird hours since Covid. Sometimes they only had carryout except for private banquets.
 
Work, true, but following a long-proven formula. Orlando filled his dad’s shoes with a passion that produced a museum of Purdue memorabilia, personalized for him by everyone from Neil Armstrong to John Wooden. Then, from the generation that benefitted most … adieu.
I'm always entertained when people feel comfortable dictating what people they have no connection to do for a living. Get over yourself already.
 
They’ve had weird hours since Covid. Sometimes they only had carryout except for private banquets.

Bruno’s maintained carry-outs throughout. After a year, the dining areas were reopened to advance reservations for parties of 16 or more on pre-set menus, then the dining areas with full menus were reopened for walk-ins Mondays through Thursdays with weekends still limited to the large groups with advance reservations.
 
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I'm always entertained when people feel comfortable dictating what people they have no connection to do for a living. Get over yourself already.

Myself? Among thousands upon thousands of regular customers over 69 years.

Just as you say, mind your own business.
 
Bruno’s maintained carry-outs throughout. After a year, the dining areas were reopened to advance reservations for parties of 16 or more on pre-set menus, then the dining areas with full menus were reopened for walk-ins Mondays through Thursdays with weekends still limited to the large groups with advance reservations.
Yeah that explains why I’ve been there once since 2020.

And there weren’t a lot of customers that night, right before a home basketball game.
 
Word is that Bruno’s will close on Wednesday, February 7 -- already out of pizza dough -- due to the seven-story abomination that will destroy Bruno’s, Rubia Flowers and the old Travel Lodge.

Also heard Orlando’s kids don’t want to pick up the ball and keep going -- spoiled brats, and not wursts -- so it’s the end of a 69-year-old institution for Boilermakers.
Chilllllll. It’s sad that it’s closing down.

But don’t go saying things about ppl you don’t know.
 
I don't think this is an exaggeration. I think I ate at Bruno's more than 300 times during my four years. We used to call the pies "grizzas" because of the puddle of grease left in the pan when you were finished.
 
Word is that Bruno’s will close on Wednesday, February 7 -- already out of pizza dough -- due to the seven-story abomination that will destroy Bruno’s, Rubia Flowers and the old Travel Lodge.

Also heard Orlando’s kids don’t want to pick up the ball and keep going -- spoiled brats, and not wursts -- so it’s the end of a 69-year-old institution for Boilermakers.
Really? You know how hard it is to own a restaurant? A lot of hard work and hard he business itself usually has no equity as a stand-alone business. If it was worth anything he’d sell it. Restaurants are so hard to operate. Terrible hours, hiring and training is nearly impossible, and virtually no equity.
 
Really? You know how hard it is to own a restaurant? A lot of hard work and hard he business itself usually has no equity as a stand-alone business. If it was worth anything he’d sell it. Restaurants are so hard to operate. Terrible hours, hiring and training is nearly impossible, and virtually no equity.
He clearly doesn't have a clue and is coming across as entitled and butthurt.
 
Really? You know how hard it is to own a restaurant? A lot of hard work and hard he business itself usually has no equity as a stand-alone business. If it was worth anything he’d sell it. Restaurants are so hard to operate. Terrible hours, hiring and training is nearly impossible, and virtually no equity.
Tack on the constant increase in the minimum wage, and the profit margins get even thinner. That is why big chains can make it up with volume and the mom and pop pizza places are starting to close shop.
 
I don't think this is an exaggeration. I think I ate at Bruno's more than 300 times during my four years. We used to call the pies "grizzas" because of the puddle of grease left in the pan when you were finished.

Work, true, but following a long-proven formula. Orlando filled his dad’s shoes with a passion that produced a museum of Purdue memorabilia, personalized for him by everyone from Neil Armstrong to John Wooden. Then, from the generation that benefitted most … adieu.
Formula or not, MOST successful small businesses are built on the never say die attitude, and never say I'm tired back of the owner of said establishment.
Much like farming, most people will never grasp how much work is being done to see the end result we see. Also like farming, most are underpaid for the amount of work they do.
I've spent 27 years establishing a successful food service business and I wouldn't wish the same trip on my only son. ;)
 
Sad yo hear this because it is local places like this and XXX that make college towns great places for food.

Perhaps we could come together and run it?
 
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Really? You know how hard it is to own a restaurant? A lot of hard work and hard he business itself usually has no equity as a stand-alone business. If it was worth anything he’d sell it. Restaurants are so hard to operate. Terrible hours, hiring and training is nearly impossible, and virtually no equity.
3x net earnings is the starting point for most biz sales. So if its taken you 20 years to get to $80k a year and a 20k profit you get 300k to walk away. That's brutally low for something paying 100k per.
Makes it tough to stop. And from the kids perspective, it's certainly a speculative risk to put all your marbles into that basket when there may not be a big pay day at the end when you are ready to stop. Whatever positives must always be weighed against the knowledge that you are 1 food contamination outbreak away from being out of business. And you may not have done a single thing wrong.
 
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This— maybe Where Else in the Union, or Harry’s , or any other bar in or near the Village should take it….

Lots of cool stuff tha ideally should be displayed somewhere else.
I’m legit interested. If there’s an auction or they sell it off I’d like to know.
 
I’m legit interested. If there’s an auction or they sell it off I’d like to know.
All personally owned by Orlando. Saw him several times at the National collectors convention hunting it down. If it’s going somewhere, it won’t be for cheap.
 
This is very sad news. I loved Bruno’s. However, I could see this coming when I saw they were forced to move across the street. If you look back in time, everybody loved Sarge Biltz. Everybody loved Morris Bryant. Everybody loved Smittys grocery store. Everybody loved that other pizza place that was on the levee. Everybody loved the Tippacanoe Mall. Many places have come and gone.

My mother was a nurse. I had no desire to follow in her profession. I can fully understand Orlando’s children wanting to live a different life.

I will miss Bruno’s. But I can understand And accept his decision.
 
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This is very sad news. I loved Bruno’s. However, I could see this coming when I saw they were forced to move across the street. If you look back in time, everybody loved Sarge Biltz. Everybody loved Morris Bryant. Everybody loved Smittys grocery store. Everybody loved that other pizza place that was on the levee. Everybody loved the Tippacanoe Mall. Many places have come and gone.

My mother was a nurse. I had no desire to follow in her profession. I can fully understand Orlando’s children wanting to live a different life.

I will miss Bruno’s. But I can understand And accept his decision.
Pizza Keg?
 
Pizza Keg?
The place had an Italian name that I thought started with a G. But it was not Griners. Pizza keg was on the top of the hill by Von’s. This place was down in the lower part of the levee by Sears . It was not Pizza Hut. It was by the steak house.
 
The place had an Italian name that I thought started with a G. But it was not Griners. Pizza keg was on the top of the hill by Von’s. This place was down in the lower part of the levee by Sears . It was not Pizza Hut. It was by the steak house.

Not remembering that at all and I go back to when the Pig N Whistle was done there, which was replaced by Noble Romans.
 
Not remembering that at all and I go back to when the Pig N Whistle was done there, which was replaced by Noble Romans.
That was the place: noble Romans! I knew it had an Italian name. It was pizza place and had good pizza but they were more expensive than most pizza places!
 
I loved Bruno’s more for their German food than their pizza. But boy, I loved their food and their service . It was an awesome place! Great food, reasonable prices.
 
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The place had an Italian name that I thought started with a G. But it was not Griners. Pizza keg was on the top of the hill by Von’s. This place was down in the lower part of the levee by Sears . It was not Pizza Hut. It was by the steak house.
I liked the Keg and Romans
 
This is very sad news. I loved Bruno’s. However, I could see this coming when I saw they were forced to move across the street. If you look back in time, everybody loved Sarge Biltz. Everybody loved Morris Bryant. Everybody loved Smittys grocery store. Everybody loved that other pizza place that was on the levee. Everybody loved the Tippacanoe Mall. Many places have come and gone.

My mother was a nurse. I had no desire to follow in her profession. I can fully understand Orlando’s children wanting to live a different life.

I will miss Bruno’s. But I can understand And accept his decision.
They moved over 25 years ago
 
What about Alfano’s stuffed breadsticks? Man, those were good. Rumor had it that guy was behind on his rent and just packed up and moved to somewhere in Illinois in the middle of the night one night.
 
He clearly doesn't have a clue and is coming across as entitled and butthurt.

Even sanctimonious hypocrites like zz are entitled to their opinions -- self-conflicted as they are, attempting to dictate what others should think about what others might think -- but I prefer to cite and patronize the actual work by Orlando Itin and Brad Cohen, who both devotedly and lovingly followed their founding fathers, Bruno and Arni, in continually offering their families’ beloved cuisines while adding their own personal touches in serving countless thousands of dedicated patrons from Purdue and Greater Lafayette for more than 69 years and 59 years, respectively.

An owner need not be an active community institution, but both father-son sets have been.

From seeing Jim Everett in GQ fashion navigating lobby patrons to seeing Todd Blackledge filming his “Taste of the Town” review on Bruno’s Dough, from seeing Robbie Hummel dining with his parents before dashing to cover a game to seeing Matt Painter hosting a recruit’s whiny parents, from routinely seeing Purdue quarterbacks treating their linemen to pizza to always marveling at the hundreds of Boilermaker photos, posters and gear personalized for Orlando, all while dining regularly over the years with loved ones, family and friends, I will miss Bruno’s personally.

“Adieu.” Or “Ade.” Or “Uf Widerluege.” (I might’ve said “Auf Wiedersehen,” but they dropped wienerschnitzel from the menu long ago.) And, hardest of all, “Arrivederci, meat ravioli.”

As for the Purdue memorabilia, according to WLFI-TV, a sale is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, February 17.
 
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Take me back in time to where I can get a Peace Hero at LMO, a Gutbuster at Garcia’s Pizza in a Pan or even a warm Knuckle sammich at Jake’s.

This has turned into an Ode to BBG....haha.

LMO was awesome as was Pizza Keg.....I would need the old TI calculator to figure out how much time I spent there - damn you, Mars God of War. :)

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