If you lived in Lubbock between the late 1960s and the 1980s, there’s a good chance your family pizza nights, post-game celebrations, and first dates happened under the glowing red roof of a Pizza Inn. Complete with dark-wood booths, checkered tablecloths, and “JoJo,” the mascot, greeting you from the sign, it was an undeniable local staple.
But where did they all go, and what stands in their place today? Let’s grab a slice of local history and find out.
The Original Pie (1967)
The very first Lubbock Pizza Inn opened its doors in May 1967 at 1220 50th Street (listed as 50th and Avenue L in the original newspaper announcement). At the time, they proudly advertised being open until midnight daily and 2:00 A.M. on weekends to capture the late-night crowd.
The 1970s Expansion Boom
Pizza Inn was a massive hit. By the time that 1975 “2 for 1” postcard coupon was mailed out to a resident on 20th Street, the franchise had exploded to five distinct locations across the city to keep up with the demand:
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1220 50th St.
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2907 Slide Rd.
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2102 Broadway
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5202 50th St.
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3605 34th St.
The 1980s Peak
By November 1983, as seen in the Lubbock Evening Journal clipping, the franchise hit its peak footprint in the city. They added a sixth location at 3411 Loop 289 South. At this time, Lubbockites could walk in for a Luncheon Buffet featuring all-you-can-eat pizza, salad, and spaghetti for the impossibly low price of $3.29.
When Did They Close?
Because Pizza Inns were heavily franchised, they didn’t all close on one specific date. Instead, they suffered a slow decline. As national delivery chains like Domino’s and Papa John’s took over the 1990s, and the Pizza Inn corporate office went through various bankruptcies and restructuring, the Lubbock locations were slowly sold off and shuttered one by one through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Where Are They Now?
The buildings that once housed these bustling buffets have gone on to live entirely new lives. If you visit these addresses today, here is what you’ll find:
1220 50th St (The Original): This location transitioned into retail space and is currently the site of Huber’s Pawn Shop.
2102 Broadway: The location closest to Texas Tech is still feeding hungry college students! Today, it is a Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.
3605 34th St: The ovens here are still burning hot, but they’ve swapped pizza for brisket. This address is now the home of the popular local favorite, J&M Bar-B-Q.
5202 50th St: The building footprint was completely redeveloped into a fast-food staple and is now a Sonic Drive-In.
2907 Slide Rd: This building later became the Slide Breakfast House and the Native Texan Restaurant. Today, the 2,800-square-foot building functions as a commercial retail/restaurant space that frequently rotates tenants or sits for lease.
3411 South Loop 289: Like many addresses along the Loop, this plot was lost to decades of highway expansion, renumbering, and major commercial redevelopment.
While the red roofs and $3.29 buffets are a thing of the past, the memories of Pizza Inn are baked right into the foundation of Lubbock’s restaurant history.
