Chappos Pizza & Pasta Closes

After 17 years, Chappos Pizza & Pasta on State Line Ave in Texarkana, Texas has closed its doors.

Owner Mario Aguilar says the restaurant had been in survival mode since COVID.

“Fresh and delicious we always tried to maintain our flavor/taste and well material things do wear out,” Aguilar said in a post announcing the closing.

Aguilar’s love of Italian cooking started in 1996, when as a middle schooler he worked alongside Alfredo Morina at Café di Roma in Texarkana. He opened his own restaurant in 2009, first on New Boston Road, later moving to State Line Avenue.

For 17 years, regulars knew what to expect: warm homemade rolls with olive oil the moment you sat down, stuffed mushrooms, New York-style pizza and the Friday Chicken Alla Panna special.

When COVID shut down dining rooms in 2020, Chappos kept serving through its drive-thru window. The restaurant never fully recovered.