After about 40 years of serving pies on Unity Avenue, the Godfather's Pizza in Brooklyn Park has closed, and the building that housed it has been sold. Operator Roger Backstrom, who had run the restaurant since 2008, is retiring, taking with him a familiar takeout and delivery option from the neighborhood strip.
According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, the property sold for $850,000 to a Brooklyn Park barbershop owner who plans to open a new concept in the space. Reporter J.D. Duggan, writing on March 27, 2026, noted that Backstrom chose to retire after nearly two decades at the helm. The sale closes the book on a storefront that had been operating for roughly four decades.
Local Fixture With Community Ties
In a City of Brooklyn Park agenda packet, the restaurant was listed among local businesses providing catering and other resources during the pandemic, a small but telling sign of its longstanding presence in the area. That official nod is one marker of the role the spot played in neighborhood life over the years.
What’s Next for the Corner
MapQuest places the former Godfather's at 7450 Unity Ave N, a freestanding restaurant site identified in local commercial listings. The buyer - a local barbershop owner - told the Business Journal he intends to launch a new concept there, though no public timeline has been announced. For now, customers and nearby residents are left to wait and see what takes over the familiar slice shop spot.
A Final Slice
After 40 years, the Godfather's Pizza closure underscores how long-running neighborhood businesses eventually change hands as owners retire and properties move on to new uses. We will update this story if more details emerge about the new concept or a reopening timeline for the corner space.
