Highline fans of "old school" Italian-don't worry.

The Burien Vince's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, on the northwest corner of Southwest 153rd Street and 4th Avenue Southwest, is not going anywhere.
Patrons of the classic Burien restaurant might have gotten a little nervous after the Seattle Times revealed Wednesday, Jan. 12 that the flagship Vince's in Rainier Beach is closing down after five decades.

Italian immigrants Vince Mottola Sr. and his wife, Ada, started the restaurant in 1957 at Martin Luther King Way and South Othello Street. They moved it south to 8824 Renton Ave. S. in 1963.

The Burien branch is not quite as venerable, having arrived in Burien in 1984.
In fact, it was the first new restaurant opened by Vince Mottola Jr. when he took over the family business from Vince Sr. in 1983.

"I have fond memories of it," Mottola Jr. said. "We have a lot of loyal guests there."

The Burien restaurant, like the others in Renton and Federal Way, are doing fine despite the economy, according to Mottola.
He said the original restaurant in Rainier Beach, which he plans to close, actually is profitable.
"The Rainier Beach lease was up and I couldn't negotiate another lease that I was comfortable with," Mottola explained.
He planned to make substantial improvements to the restaurant but the lease arrangements just didn't work out, he added.

"I want to close it on a high note and make it a time to celebrate," Mottola declared.

But Mottola said he is looking around for another location.
"I want to do something different in the (Rainier) Valley," Mottola noted.
Mottola and his business partners also run a Neapolitan pizzeria called Pizzeria Pulcinella, which according to Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson is "the bella bambina that made its splashy Rainier Beach debut in 2008."
Mottola said he feels very lucky that the Burien restaurant is doing well, even in this economy.

"The customers are loyal,' he declared. "People love Vince's.
"I've already heard from several Rainier Beach guests that they plan to switch to the Burien or Renton stores."

Mottola says he is not bothered by all the other restaurants, including some newer-styled Italian places, that have popped up on Southwest 152nd Street along Burien's Restaurant Row.

"I like having all the restaurants crowded together in Burien," Mottola said. "We support each other. People are not just going over to Southcenter to eat anymore.