Colfax Pizzeria Enzo’s Will Serve Its Last Slice on Friday

Nearly a year ago, a Colfax staple got a refresh under a new owner — but on Friday, Enzo’s on Colfax will close its doors.

For almost three decades, Charlie Puma ran Enzo’s End, the pizzeria attached to PS Lounge, a cash-only dive bar known for its old-school jukebox, free Alabama Slammer shots and complementary roses for ladies. But by June 2024, Puma was ready for a change.

“It’s just been enough. I’ve been doing most of the cooking myself for the last couple of years. Labor is expensive, so we do what we’ve gotta do,” he told Westword at the time. “I’m just looking to do some new things and go on some adventures.”

He and PS Lounge owner Pete Siahamis hoped someone would step in and keep Enzo’s going, but the space sat empty for nearly a year before Bob Cherenzia showed up. Bringing years of prior restaurant ownership to the new venture, he was excited to see his vision for Enzo’s come to life. “I know people loved Charlie’s pizza, and I’m happy to try to build on that,” he said at the time.

While he would have preferred starting fresh with a new name, Siahamis wanted to keep the Enzo’s moniker, which also happens to be the name of Cherenzia’s son, so he rolled with it, going with the slightly tweaked Enzo’s on Colfax.

But the recipes were all his own, including the dough, which is more New York-style than the thin crusts of Enzo’s End, with specialty topping combinations such as the Pig and Cow with prosciutto and a whole ball of burrata, and the Juarez, with jalapeno cream cheese, mozzarella, Italian sausage, basil, mint, micro greens and a drizzle of lemon oil. He also added paninis and salads to the lineup.

Despite his best efforts, though, the business struggled. “This was going to be a miracle to pull off with this construction and all the other obstacles,” Cherenzia notes, referring to the BRT project that has caused chaos for many Colfax businesses over the last year.

Now Enzo’s on Colfax will be open Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3, for its last hurrah, though Cherenzia reminds fans that he’ll be working solo, so bring your patience if you plan to visit. Fortunately, it’s easy to kill some time at PS Lounge.

While as of now, there are no plans for a successor to move in, we’re hoping Siahamis might be up for welcoming a fresh concept to the space: There are certainly a lot of talented chefs in town who’d jump at the opportunity to move in, and the neighborhood is hungry for more options. We hope to see Cherenzia back in the scene as well, bringing his passion to a new venture.

Enzo’s on Colfax is located at 3424 East Colfax Avenue and will be open from 2 to10 p.m. April 2 and April 3 to serve its last guests. For more information, visit enzosoncolfax.com.