METROWEST, Fla. – If you like pizza, chances are you’ve enjoyed a slice from NYPD Pizza over the past 25 years. But on Thursday night, the Central Florida chain has announced it’s closing one of its locations — the one in Orlando’s MetroWest neighborhood.

Owner and CEO Paul Russo says the decision comes down to a growing trend that’s hitting many local restaurants hard: rising rent prices.

“For 25 years, we’ve stayed true to who we are,” said Russo. “We are authentically New York pizza — we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”

However, Russo says several challenges have piled up, leading to the difficult decision to close their MetroWest doors this Friday.

“Over the years, it’s been a combination of things — labor costs that have vastly increased — but the nail in the coffin was th

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