Pandemic: Redwood City's Old Spaghetti Factory Closes Permanently

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Amid sweeping back-and-forth restrictions and a stifled economic outlook in California during the coronavirus pandemic, restaurant owners have struggled to keep their doors open. The same is true even for chain restaurants like the Old Spaghetti Factory, which closed permanently shuttered its Redwood City location.

The Old Spaghetti was forced to close dining operations in its California locations for a second time after an alarming surge in coronavirus cases prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue new restrictions amid dwindling intensive care unit capacities across the state.

Situated on the corner of Broadway and Jefferson in downtown Redwood City, the Italian joint first opened nine years ago and was known for its retro decor as well as its mizithra pasta sauce.

The chain is famous for its murder mystery dinners and considerably large imports of mizithra cheese, a tangy Greek staple.

However, the Old Spaghetti Factory, based in Portland, Oregon, has managed to keep the lights on at several other nearby Northern California locations — San Jose, Concord, Sacramento and Rancho Cordova — and was still offering an expanded takeout menu at some of its locations.