Ithaca Nightlife Returns Amid Continuing COVID Concerns

Even as bars and entertainment venues from Moonies to Lot 10 have restocked their drink selections, welcomed back regulars and flicked on their neon lights, it’s also been a summer of shortened hours and staffing shortages, of fleeting moments without pandemic anxiety and of new waves of caution over the Delta variant.

Sammy’s Pizzeria Closes Doors in Collegetown

After operating for two years in the heart of Collegetown, Sammy’s Pizzeria closed Wednesday, according to Sam Chafee, the restaurant’s owner. Since its opening in 2014, the restaurant has become one of the staple late night eateries for Collegetown students. According to Chafee, the restaurant closed because the building’s lease expired and the landlord decided to transform the space into a real estate office for his properties. Chafee said the “old good memories we had when we started in Collegetown [in 1997]” prompted the opening of Sammy’s Express again in 2014. However, Chafee noted that business is “not like it used to be.”
“I think everyone eat[s] at dining halls at Cornell — I know the quality of food got much better on campus,” he said.