Less than five months after losing their jobs with a cement company — a product of a slumping construction market — two brothers are taking a gamble in the Glen Ellyn restaurant market.

With help from their father, Bill and Bobby Davidson bought Curly’s Grill, 499 Pennsylvania Ave. and the pizza place around the corner at 498 Crescent Blvd. (The two establishments are connected and under a shared lease.)

They have both reopened, with the pizza place christened “Curly’s Pizza.”

With the official grand openings having taken place earlier this week, the Davidsons are confident in their new endeavors. Considering the alternative, they have to be.

“It’s make it or break it basically, and we better make it,” said Bobby Davidson, 39. “We were (nervous) at first, but now, it’s nice because everything’s coming together.”

The brothers grew up in Tinley Park. Bill Davidson, 30, now lives in Lockport and Bobby Davidson in New Lenox. After losing their jobs in early March, they took it as an opportunity to fulfill their dream of opening a restaurant.

“We had to do something, and this is something we wanted to do for a long time,” Bobby Davidson said.

The previous owners of Curly’s Grill subleased the pizza shop, last named “Byrnzy’s Pizza” and “Mama Gibb’s” before that. When the Davidsons bought Curly’s, they decided to run them under the same name.

“It was basically a win-win by getting both,” Bobby Davidson said.

“Offer pizza in the bar. It’s a no-brainer,” Bill Davidson added.

They invested in painting and cleaning the grill and bought three 50-inch plasma TVs. It’s all part of a huge family investment, they said.

“It’s a lot. That’s all I can say,” Bobby Davidson said. “We’re at zero right now.”