Christine DiPaolo has gone to Leonardo’s By the Slice since she was 8 years old.
Growing up, DiPaolo, a UF Levin College of Law first-year, stopped by Leonardo’s after her swim meets to grab pepperoni pizza and garlic rolls.
It looked like her tradition might come to end after UF bought the property in 2016 and announced its plan to build a new School of Music building in its place, but DiPaolo can savor the rolls a little bit longer.
UF extended Leonardo’s By The Slice’s lease until June 2020, while the restaurant searches for a new location, co-owner Brian Johnson said.
UF decided on the extension because it does not yet have the funds to construct the music building, said Margot Winick, a UF spokesperson.
UF hopes to secure legislative funding for the music building but asking for funds is a multi-year process, she said.
“For now, we are happy for Leonardo’s to continue to stay in business and serve its great pizza,” Winick said.
Johnson said he will look into a new location in Gainesville for Leonardo’s By The Slice within the next year.
“The university has been very fair with (its) lease terms and are working with us in a very kind way,” he said. “We feel they are looking out for us.”
Contact McKenna Beery at mbeery@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @mckennabeery
