Exeter pizzeria reopens hours after city centre incident

An Exeter city centre pizzeria has reopened just hours after a car crashed through its front wall, causing significant damage but no serious injuries.

The incident happened shortly before 11am on Tuesday, 4 November, when a car left the road and drove into Pizza Academy, moments before the restaurant was due to open for its lunchtime service.

Owner Paul Georgiadis said he was preparing for the day ahead when he suddenly saw his drinks refrigerator thrown across the room: “I was wondering how my three-door cooler just jumped through the air and landed on its side,” he said. “It didn’t make any sense at first.”

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Police confirmed that the collision was caused by a medical issue affecting the driver, an elderly man who was travelling with his dog. Neither were injured.

Despite the damage, the restaurant was able to reopen for takeaways later the same day. Around half of the dining area will remain closed while repairs are carried out by Exeter-based JPW Construction, which is expected to complete the work by next Wednesday, 12 November.

Paul said the response from the community had been overwhelmingly supportive: “My customers understand what happened, they just took their food home and carried on. No complaints at all,” he said.

The impact caused damage to the front wall and stairs of the building, but plumbing and electrics were unaffected.

Chief Stephan Poulin of Exeter Police said the driver’s licence status has been referred to the DVLA for review.

Looking on the bright side, Paul said the incident had at least drawn some curiosity from locals: “It’s definitely going to bring people in just to see the wall,” he joked.

Pizza Academy remains open for takeaway and delivery while restoration work continues.