Longtime friends of Red's, from left: Bob Pacyga, Ron Jorissen, and Pat Ruberto enjoy lunch at Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul Thursday. A white rose, an Onyx cigar and an overturned shot glass mark "Grandpa's Place," the spot at the bar always occupied by Earl "Red" Schoenhider -- a place no one else is allowed to sit. Schoenhider died last week. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

Vicky Turk, who has been a pizza cook at Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul for 31 years, passes pizzas out of the kitchen Thursday. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

Greg Russell of St. Paul takes part of his pizza home after lunch at Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul Thursday. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

The original Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul, August 29, 2017. Just a week after the passing of its founder, Earl "Red" Schoenheider, his children have decided to close the original Red's Savoy location on East Seventh Street.The 421 E. Seventh St. building, which the family does not own, is not ADA compliant, and has some major structural issues that need to be fixed, said company spokesman Reed Daniels. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

Diners enjoy lunch at Red's Savoy Pizza beneath a large mural, in St. Paul, August 29, 2017. Just a week after the passing of its founder, Earl "Red" Schoenheider, his children have decided to close the original Red's Savoy location on East Seventh Street. The 421 E. Seventh St. building, which the family does not own, is not ADA compliant, and has some major structural issues that need to be fixed, said company spokesman Reed Daniels. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)



Diners enjoy lunch at Red's Savoy Pizza beneath a large mural in St. Paul Thursday. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

"He was our King Arthur, he was our whole world," says Tara Cockriel, granddaughter of Red, as she works behind the bar at Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul Thursday. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

Earl "Red" Schoenheider at Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul in a recent family photo. Red, 82, who bought the restaurant in 1965, died Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. Schoenheider hated having his picture taken, so this is one of the few photos his family has. He's sitting at the end of the bar at Savoy's, enjoying a shot and a beer, with a pile of money to pay for it, because he always paid for his own drinks. (Courtesy of the Schoenheider family)

A white rose, an Onyx cigar and an overturned shot glass mark "Grandpa's Place," the spot at the bar always occupied by Earl "Red" Schoenheider -- a place no one else is allowed to sit -- at Red's Savoy Pizza in St. Paul Thursday. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

A week after the death of Red’s Savoy pizzeria founder Earl “Red” Schoenheider, his children have decided to close the original location on East Seventh Street.

The 421 E. Seventh St. building, which the family does not own, is not ADA compliant, and has some other issues that need to be fixed, said company spokesman Reed Daniels.

“The building needs six-figure renovations,” he said.

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New eateries set up shop at malls around the metro The restaurant is being sued for its lack of ADA compliance, which is just part of the equation, Daniels said.

To add to that, Schoenheider was the heart and soul of that first location, having worked there every day for 52 years. The family said they were working on closing anyway, and Schoenheider’s passing sealed the deal.

The restaurant’s last day in operation will be Sept. 16. It will be closed Labor Day, then open from 4 p.m. until close until Sept. 16 to allow patrons to say goodbye.

Rory Schoenheider, Red’s son, still owns the Red’s Savoy at 520 N. White Bear Ave., and that location, along with the other 13 pizzerias that bear Red’s name, will remain in operation.

“Red’s legacy will live on in every other location,” Daniels said.

Schoenheider bought the restaurant in 1965, after working there as a bouncer and bartender, and built the reputation of Red’s Savoy through hard work and dedication to quality.

“Rory (Schoenheider) said it’s the end of an era, and it really is,” Daniels said.

Schoenheider’s sauce and sausage recipes are closely guarded secrets that franchisees have access to, but patrons bemoaned the loss of the old-school, well-worn East Seventh location.

Many on social media claimed that the original spot not only had the best ambiance, but also the best pizza.

Schoenheider, 82, died Aug. 21 after a brief illness, and many of the restaurant’s customers knew him well. The imposing 6-foot-4-inch man often sat at the end of the bar with a beer and a shot, shooting the breeze with customers, after he was done working for the day.

His children said that in 52 years, he never took a vacation, and worked 365 days a year, even on Christmas, when he would open the restaurant to do inventory and give some of his less-fortunate buddies a place to come on the holiday.

The restaurant’s closure comes after the completion of the reconstructed Lafayette Bridge, which fixed the problem of vehicles careening into the building.

Over the years, several semi trucks and vehicles and at least one motorcycle ended up in the dining room.