Bella Pita – a Mediterranean sandwich restaurant run by a retired UCLA adjunct professor – closed in Westwood on March 4.

Bella Pita, which opened on Gayley Avenue in 2007, was founded and run by Medy Sanadidi – a retired UCLA adjunct professor – with the help of his son. The restaurant could no longer afford to pay rent and other expenses while offering competitive prices, Sanadidi said.

“I’m not out to make huge profits or anything,” he said. “This is a side adventure for me to have with my son. We did it, and we’re gratified with all the love we got over the years,” Sanadidi said.

The restaurant was doing well until the COVID-19 pandemic, when foot traffic began to decline, Sanadidi said.

Bella Pita also used to cater events hosted by various UCLA departments that drew up to 800 people, but the frequency of orders fell in recent years, Sanadidi added.

Sanadidi said customers reached out to him to express disappointment when Bella Pita announced its closure.

“People also commented on the price,” Sanadidi said. “They said that the prices were always fair. You get healthy food, you get tasty food, you get late-night and you get a good price.”

UCLA alumnus Julia Harnoy said she remembered ordering Bella Pita with friends late at night during her college years and sharing special moments over the food before the pandemic.

“It’s a shame they had to shut down,” Harnoy said.

Sanadidi said his initial goal was to make Bella Pita a chain restaurant. He added that he still has the recipes and intellectual property rights for the restaurant, which he said he is open to sharing with a partner in the future to pursue this goal.

However, Sanadidi said he does not plan to own a Bella Pita restaurant again and instead will retire.

“It has been an amazing experience for me because it is a side activity I did not know I could succeed in.” Sanadidi said. “I learned a lot from it, and I appreciate the friendship and the good feedback.”