If you’ve ever closed down the bar at Tattooed Mom or caught a show at the TLA, you’ve probably tasted the sweet, sweet nectar of a giant slice of Lorenzo and Sons Pizza on a hazy South Street night out. This Philadelphia landmark has been doing its thing for over two decades, with the friendliness of the service only improving marginally over the years. It was a shock when a fire broke out at Lorenzo’s one morning this past June, and folks looking for a greasy nightcap on South Street have been forced to find alternatives ever since.

Lorenzo's

Perhaps even more surprising than the fire itself has been the extended time that’s passed without any apparent progress toward reopening. We recall one night, years ago, waiting on line for a slice and determining that the store probably sells $1.5-$2M in slices every year. Whether our numbers are a little high or perhaps even a little low is unclear, but we’re certain that this place sells a staggering quantity of ‘za.

And today we have some relatively good news for the drunken hoards of South Street. Over the weekend, we were in the area and noticed the door to the store was wide open as crews worked on the interior.

Dimly lit shot of workers inside

As you can (mostly) see, the inside has been gutted to the studs, and some new framing has already taken place. All of the old equipment is gone, as is some of the floor and rear wall of the building. From the looks of it, the store is probably at least a couple of months away still, but progress is good to see.

Mural was cut to improve ventilation on the day of the fire

Hopefully, the pizza shop will soon reopen for business, ostensibly with a much-needed makeover. Ah, we can almost taste that sweet sauce and greasy cheese right now…