This story was produced as part of a collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). For our third collaboration with SCAD, we once again worked with students in Paige Gray’s spring semester writing class, this time focusing on the subject of food. With the help of Rough Draft editors Collin Kelley, Beth McKibben, and Sammie Purcell, the students produced stories ranging from the personal to hard-hitting issues like food insecurity.
It was my first day of college in a new city. Moving from Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica, to Atlanta was like landing on an alien planet. After introducing myself to some other SCAD students, I realized everyone felt as awkward as I did. They were also just as hungry. Lucky for us, DaVinci’s Pizzeria was around the corner from campus. Inside the local pizza chain, the atmosphere was electric—sports were on, laughter provided a soundtrack, and the fresh smell of dough wafted through the air. That’s when I knew I’d be all right.
It was where we spent our Saturday nights, went on dates, watched the Super Bowl, and felt at home across the country. And I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. So when the Midtown location closed on Oct. 29, 2023, it meant more than losing good food close to campus.
“You can’t just hear about it; you had to be there,” said SCAD student Ian Rawa, “Man, I loved that place, but now seeing it empty—it’s like losing a family member.” Rawa’s favorite dish was the calzone. “The cheese would do that thing you see in commercials [the cheese pull], where it extends, and it would melt in your mouth.”
DaVinci’s felt integral to Atlanta’s college culture. With $20 for a day’s worth of food and a Midtown location between Georgia Tech and SCAD on West Peachtree Street, it was always full of students. In 2018, there were four DaVinci’s pizzerias around the city. As of 2025, only the Smyrna location remains.
“Whenever we’re discussing what to have for dinner, one of us always begins to suggest DaVinci’s before remembering it’s closed,” said Georgia Tech student Sofia Hampton. “All the other places sound worse after that.” Hampton raved about the supreme pizza. “They put so many toppings on it you couldn’t even see the crust, and that crunch? Oh my god.”
I would order the supreme pizza too. The toppings were so fresh, I was convinced they grew them in the back.
Affordable food is hard to find in Midtown these days, so many students are forced to choose between fast food and meals they cannot afford when they dine out. But while we may never know the real reason for why DaVinci’s closed, it was not as simple as a lack of sales but rather a combination of factors.
“On top of what is likely a very steep monthly rent for a store in Midtown, there are maintenance fees, insurance fees, utilities, taxes, and so on,” explained Atlanta financial advisor Hailey Illes.
Illes noted that restaurants have specific costs associated with menu ingredients. “Let’s say you had a mediocre sales week,” Illes said, imagining a scenario where “you bought your usual $1,000 worth of food but only used $500. That’s $500 of your budget straight in the trash.” In addition, eating out is one of the first luxuries people give up when the economy is down.
DaVinci’s closing is not an isolated occurrence. In West Midtown, more than a dozen restaurants closed in the last two years, including Humble Pie, West Egg Cafe, and Postino. A factor commonly cited for these closures: high rents. When I contacted the leasing agent listed for DaVinci’s Midtown property to ask about their relationship with the restaurant, they declined to comment.
Reminders of the pizzeria remain on West Peachtree (the sign still hangs over the door). DaVinci’s atmosphere made anyone feel welcome. The closure of DaVinci’s in Midtown felt like losing a tradition, but the restaurant didn’t totally disappear. The Smyrna location is just as popular with college students. Many devoted customers, including myself, brave the rush hour traffic for a taste, because nothing’s better than DaVinci’s.