A beloved icon of the Santa Barbara eatery landscape, Deano’s Pizzeria appears to be on the brink of closure as it marks its 50th anniversary. A haven for families, celebrating softball teams, and work-weary residents seeking a decent pie, a classic salad bar, some pinball, and maybe a cold beer or two, Deano’s has been doing business on the Mesa since 1960, but now, after the Mesa Shopping Center’s two-year mega-facelift slowed its business and property management company Investec raised the rent, the place once known as Me-and-Ed’s has fallen behind on rent payments. According to a spokesperson from the pizzeria, Investec is taking the restaurant to court this Friday, potentially to settle the dispute, though hope remains that the matter can be handled beforehand. In the meantime, a Facebook page created earlier this week dedicated to saving Santa Barbara’s oldest pizza parlor had some 2,000 followers within 24 hours of its creation.