Erie County’s new executive has a lot on his plate.
Christina Vogel, a mother of three teenagers and owner of a Donato franchise in Erie who is elected county commissioner in 2025, said she had hoped she could keep things going. But she chose to close the 1535 Greengarden plaza store, according to a March 20 post on the 1535 Greengarden plaza pizzeria’s Facebook page. The store’s last day is Monday, March 23.
“I feel that in my new job as Erie County Administrator, I will be able to fulfill … all the responsibilities of my new job, maintain the store and take care of my children and myself,” she said. “However, over the past ten weeks I’ve realized that I simply can’t do it.”
Christina Vogel, a franchisee at Donatos Pizza at 1535 W. Eighth Street in Erie, opened the West Erie restaurant in 2016. She will not renew the store’s lease after being appointed Erie County executive in 2026.
“The lease for the Green Garden store has expired and I have chosen not to renew it,” she said. “I will be closing the Greengarden store.
“I know it seemed offensive and I’m sorry,” she said. “Getting corporate approval took longer than I expected.”
She said she plans to keep the last of the three locations open, 4829 Buffalo Road in Harborcreek, and will honor all gift cards from that location. (Vogel’s Donato’s, 861 East 38th Street, opened during the pandemic and closed in 2024.)
“(The Harborcreek location) will be open as normal,” Vogel said in the post. “It has a cute dining room, a pickup window and the world’s largest pizza cutter – so come see us!”
She said she is not sad but is proud of her business experience and that the Harborcreek location will serve the community in downtown Erie.
“It’s about eight minutes in the opposite direction,” she said.
experience side
Vogel said her background running businesses in Erie County gives her a unique perspective as county executive.
“I understand we have to understand what it takes for businesses to survive,” she said. “Without them, they wouldn’t be able to provide jobs.”
She added that she’s worried about the business climate not just in Erie, but across the country. She said her electric bill at a recent restaurant nearly doubled in a year without changing her hours or menu. Her gas bill went up 72%.
“Also, the workforce has increased, the product has increased. It’s really hard to make it work,” Vogel said of small business owners. “I can see all sides of the problem (that businesses face in the current environment). And I have employees. I see how difficult it is. Everything is more expensive for them.
“I don’t know what the solution is,” she said. “But we have to find one.”
Contact Jennie Geisler jgeisler@timesnews.com. Find her weekly newsletter: https://profile.goerie.com/newsletters/erielicious/.
This article originally appeared in the Erie Times News: Vogel hopes she can keep Donato open, but that goes too far
