Manja Pizza Closes

Manja Pizza had survived Hurricane Sandy and the prospect of torrential flooding and damage, but apparently could not sustain the five-year lease its owners inked last year.

Signs on the outside of the former eatery advertise a storefront restaurant and include a phone number for one of the 332 S. York Road property's owners, Linda Clauser of Horizon Property Management. 

Calls made to Clauser were not returned. But, another owner, George Kiriakidi, confirmed on Tuesday that Manja, had, in fact, closed up shop.

"They closed," was all Kiriakidi said. 

Kiriakidi declined to say why or when the business closed, or what the owners hoped to add to the building in the future. He referred Patch to another owner of the site, Jim Case, and said it was his "bailiwick."

Case did not return calls, or respond to an email seeking comment. 

Patch was also unsuccessful in reaching Manja co-owner Anastasia Sampaio for comment. 

Most recently, the Hatboro Zoning Hearing Board rejected Horizon Property Management's application to build 16 two-story apartments adjacent to the former Manja. Had the turned-down plan been approved, the automotive businesses that share the 332 S. York Road address would have been cleared and the pizza shop would have been the only existing business to stay.

At the time of the plan's rejection, Jim Case of Horizon Property Management said he did not know if the company would appeal the zoners' decision or not.

Hatboro Borough Manager Fred Zollers told Patch recently that Horizon had inquired on the status of a recently resubmitted Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout application determine the likelihood that a buyout would be received before deciding to pursue an appeal of the zoning hearing board decision, according to Zollers. 

If a government buyout is approved, total demolition of all of the businesses at 332 S. York Road would be required. The land would be required to remain open and free from construction and it would be turned over to Hatboro for maintenance, including lawn-mowing, officials said previously. 

It was because of the potential demolition that the owners opted to not renew the lease after the first year, according to Hatboro Main Street Manager Stephen Barth. 

"They felt that putting more investment into a building with an uncertain future was risky for them," said Barth, adding that Manja's owners are working on a lease with someone else.