The Aporia · Kevin Durant-backed bankrupt pizza chain shutters yet another California location

Kevin Durant-backed bankrupt pizza chain shutters yet another California location

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Zalben, B. (2026, October 13). Kevin Durant-backed bankrupt pizza chain shutters yet another California location. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/13/lifestyle/folsom-pieology-quietly-closes-as-california-pizza-chain-struggles/

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Pieology Pizzeria, a build-your-own pizza chain backed by NBA star Kevin Durant, has closed another location in Folsom, California. The restaurant, which opened in 2016 and was one of about 150 nationwide at its peak, is now down to just 27 locations after filing for bankruptcy. The closure follows a series of store closings across the Sacramento area over recent years as the chain struggles with declining sales.

Written by AI on 2026-10-13, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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Story summary

Pieology Pizzeria, a build-your-own pizza chain backed by NBA superstar Kevin Durant, has drastically reduced its presence, closing another location in Folsom, a suburb of Sacramento, California. Once boasting around 150 restaurants nationwide, the company now only operates 27 locations due to years of closures and bankruptcy filings. The Folsom restaurant, which had been open since 2016, was forced to close when its franchisee decided not to renew the lease at the Folsom Gateway shopping plaza. Landlord Pappas Investments confirmed that a new tenant is being sought for the vacated space. Founded in 2011 in Fullerton, California, Pieology's decline highlights challenges faced by once-popular fast-casual dining chains.

Written for “Pizza Chain Bankruptcy” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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12%

2 of 16 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Who wrote this

Bianca Zalben

36 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

🔮 Someone else calculated that the same money could buy roughly 14 of Costco’s famous $1.50 hot dogs.

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🔮 Set to open by summer 2028, the ambitious development will include 406 luxury guest rooms (featuring 119 VIP suites), and 900 additional slot machines, which brings the gaming floor’s fire-power up to 3,000 slots.

2026-10-22 · assertive framing · New $725M mega-hotel breaks ground near LA: ‘Destination spot’

🔮 Once there, they can take advantage of buying goods in bulk, potentially splitting supersized grocery purchases that might otherwise be impractical for a single student. “We realized it’d be best if we can just all band together, have people with memberships and cars, go to Costco so we can buy items in bulk,” Kathryn Chong, the club’s social media manager and a fourth-year biology student, told the school newspaper.

2026-10-21 · assertive framing · Costco-loving UCLA students beat cost of living crisis, forge bonds with shoppers club

🔮 Hospitality entrepreneur Jeremy Fall and former Mozza Restaurant Group executive Sean Maloney are behind the ambitious revival, and while the beloved French dip will remain the star of the show, its return will include white tablecloths, fancy French fare and even an au jus-infused martini.

2026-10-20 · assertive framing · LA restaurant icon shuttered after 118 years in shock return just months after closing for good

🔮 Rocket riches could be fueling a sleepy Los Angeles area city’s sudden interest in the finer things.

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🔮 The team had anticipated a low-key debut, staffing the bakery for what they though would be a relatively quiet soft opening.

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Struggling Santa Monica’s sudden bakery boom – with $7 croissants and 45-minute wait times

🔮 The bulk-buying behemoth is moving closer to opening its first warehouse in Oakland, with newly filed plans revealing a massive store that could bring roughly 400 jobs and millions in tax revenue.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Bulk retail giant Costco eyes former Army base site for massive Oakland warehouse

🔮 Helmed by Chef Willian Joo, Pizzeria Sei specializes in Tokyo-style perfectly blistered Neapolitan-style pies.

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Five California pizzerias ranked top 27 in the US

🔮 The poster admitted their own contribution to the list might ruffle some feathers: an $8.75 personal 8-inch pizza from Erewhon.

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🔮 Southern California’s craft beer scene may be drowning in closures, but one experimental newcomer is betting there’s still plenty of life left in the tap.

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Also by Bianca Zalben

Disney sparks outrage with new $34 ‘craft’ burger and $22 glizzy of the month

2026-10-22 · New York Post

New $725M mega-hotel breaks ground near LA: ‘Destination spot’

2026-10-22 · New York Post

Costco-loving UCLA students beat cost of living crisis, forge bonds with shoppers club

2026-10-21 · New York Post

LA restaurant icon shuttered after 118 years in shock return just months after closing for good

2026-10-20 · New York Post

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 36 articles by Bianca Zalben →

Claims (16 extracted, 2 hedged)

A once-hot California pizza chain is getting cooked. asserted

chain → cook → ?

Pieology Pizzeria, the build-your-own pizza empire backed by NBA superstar Kevin Durant that once boasted roughly 150 restaurants nationwide, has been reduced to a shell of its former self. asserted

that → build → self

After a years-long closing spree and bankruptcy filing, just 27 Pieology locations remain, according to The Street. uncertain

locations → remain → Street

The latest victim is a decade-old outpost in Folsom, a suburb of Sacramento, where the popular pizza joint quietly closed earlier this month. asserted

joint → close → Sacramento

The restaurant, located inside the Folsom Gateway shopping plaza, had been slinging customizable pies and calzones since 2016. asserted

restaurant → locate → 2016

But the franchisee apparently decided it was time to call it quits. asserted

it → decide → it

Kelly Rule, senior vice president of leasing at landlord Pappas Investments, told the Sacramento Bee that the restaurant operator opted not to renew its lease. asserted

operator → tell → lease

The replacement restaurant is reportedly already being lined up for the now vacant space, although the potential new tenant’s identity remains under wraps. uncertain

identity → line → wraps

Founded in Fullerton, California, in 2011, Pieology built its reputation on an assembly-line concept that allowed customers to pile their favorite toppings onto individually crafted pizzas. asserted

customers → found → pizzas

The chain also offered alternatives such as cauliflower and gluten-free crusts, appealing to customers looking for a more personalized experience. asserted

chain → offer → experience

The buzz was loud enough to lure serious star power and deep pockets: Panda Express founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng and NBA star Kevin Durant. asserted

buzz → lure → power

Sales ultimately soured though, with dozens of stores closing over the following years. asserted

dozens → sour → years

By late 2025, its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. asserted

company → file → bankruptcy

Folsom isn’t the only Sacramento-area community to lose its Pieology. asserted

Folsom → lose → Pieology

The chain has also shuttered restaurants in Rancho Cordova, downtown Sacramento and Roseville in recent years. asserted

chain → shutter → years

For loyal fans still craving their custom pies, two nearby locations remain in Sacramento County: one in the Meadowview neighborhood and another in Elk Grove. asserted

locations → crave → Grove

Kevin Durant-backed bankrupt pizza chain shutters yet another California location

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Claims (16 extracted, 2 hedged)