New operator buys former Oakland Mad Mex site with plan to open restaurant serving Upstate New York

PITTSBURGH — A long-time Oakland landmark restaurant that struggled and eventually closed under challenging circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is set to be replaced by a new restaurant influenced by all the hospitality industry changes brought on by it.

Zechariah Vanzo, until recently a general manager at the Oakland-launched restaurant CHiKN, has bought the former Mad Max on Atwood Street, which closed in February after a 30-year run, and is working to introduce a new takeout-focused restaurant called Pilez.