Pizza Loves Emily In W Village Closed By Inspectors: Records

WEST VILLAGE, NY — An artisanal pizza shop, Pizza Loves Emily, in the West Village was forced to close after health inspectors slapped the eatery with 49 violation points, records show.

The pizzeria, at Downing and Bedford streets, was found with evidence of mice or live mice as well as flies inside the restaurant, Health Department records dated Oct. 1 show.

Cold foods were held about 41 degrees, food was not protected from possible contamination and food contact surfaces were not properly washed, the records say.

Another violation found the facility wasn't mice-proof. Five of the six violations were marked "critical," according to the department records.

At first, when Patch called the West Village location, a person who picked up the phone declined comment. After publication of this article, a spokesperson said the restaurant re-opened Thursday and is now compliant with Health Department regulations.

The spokesperson noted some structural issues with the building and a pipe in the refrigerator area had to be fixed that the owners were not aware of.

"It's 100-year-old building," the spokesperson said. "It's so old. Some of the things we didn't actually know were against code regulation."

The pizzeria was started by husband-and-wife duo Emily and Matt Hyland as a part of larger brand of both Pizza Loves Emily their Detroit-style pizza eatery Emmy Squared.

Emily, which also has a location in Clinton Hill, opened its West Village digs in 2017. The same year, the Hylands' investors sued the owners over the West Village shop, claiming the couple excluded investors by creating a new holding company without telling them.

The couple denied all allegations at the time. Eater reported earlier this year the Hylands have since found new investors as the brand expands.

Emmy Squared, with locations in Williamsburg, East Village, and two in Tennessee, plans to expand to the Upper East Side and Philadelphia soon, its website says.

This article has been updated with comment from the restaurant.