Ancora set a new standard for New Orleans pizza with its artisan approach to Neapolitan pies, and it helped contribute to a new era of Freret Street as a restaurant row. Soon, the Uptown pizzeria will close. A big part of the decision for proprietor Bryn Thompson came down to sticking to what Ancora has always done best rather than bow to changing trends.
Ancora remains open through the end of July, serving its distinctive pizza, house-made salumi, pastas and Italian wine and cocktails. It will close after service on July 31.
What had been a steady business has struggled in the past few years, he said. There’s increasing pressure to use the ubiquitous third-party delivery apps, which add fees for restaurants. And Ancora’s pizza is best right out of the wood fired-oven at the restaurant anyway, Thompson asserts.
After more than 14 years, he determined it was time to step away rather than reconfigure the business model for a new chapter.
“We’re a dine-in restaurant first, and one of our priorities was building a neighborhood and community; I think we did that,” Thompson said…