Oz Pizza Issues Statement Regarding Soccer In The Streets After Non-Profit Sports Group Leaves Location– But Controversy Continues

Longtime East Point eatery Oz Pizza has now issued a statement after the children’s nonprofit group Soccer In The Streets program left the space it occupied for several years next to the popular eatery.

From Oz Pizza via its Facebook page:

Oz, a neighborhood centerpiece located in the heart of Downtown East Point, has come under community criticism, including on social media, after the public became aware of the soccer group’s decision to shut down at the location and the circumstances surrounding that decision: Soccer in the Streets officially pulled its youth programs from its longtime home adjacent to the pizza eatery after Oz’s owner indicated the group would not be allowed to continue to play there under the agreement that had been in place for several years.

The eatery has maintained that it became overburdened with cleaning up after the games and said it offered to rent space to the group.

Meanwhile, the seven-year partnership downtown has dissolved into a public dispute over space, schedules, and the cost of community collaboration, while exposing Oz to not-so-flattering PR.

Conversely, the fallout has left parents frustrated and dozens of local children without their neighborhood pitch, forcing the non-profit to temporarily relocate its East Point players to a MARTA transit field in Atlanta’s West End.

David Howard, the owner of Oz Pizza, explained that the decision not to renew the lease came down to the financial survival of his restaurant. While Howard originally donated the use of the vacant lot next to his business for the mini-soccer pitch, he maintained that Oz Pizza continued to carry the financial burden of rent, taxes, and insurance for the property.

“We love the kids, but we also have to protect our business and our staff’s livelihood,” Howard said to local news reporters.

Representatives from Soccer in the Streets view the situation differently. Executive Director Kaseem Ladipo emphasized that the program brought immense vibrancy, diverse families, and high-profile community partners into the heart of East Point.

Supporters and parents of the players expressed deep disappointment over the closure. Many argued that soccer families frequently patronized Oz Pizza before and after practices, actively contributing to the restaurant’s revenue rather than detracting from it. For many local families, the pitch was a safe, walkable haven for youth sports in a community with limited recreational infrastructure.

With negotiations deadlocked, the soccer pitch has been dismantled. Soccer in the Streets leadership confirmed they are actively scouting alternative locations within East Point to establish a permanent, dedicated space for the displaced youth teams.

In the interim, the organization’s transit-based “Station Soccer” network is absorbing the East Point players, though families hope a local solution will emerge soon to bring the game back to an ideally located destination in East Point.

Soccer In The Streets did not publicly respond to Oz’s statement by the time this article was published.

However, the group did share an announcement about its Footy Ball Gala which will take place on November 7th.