Ike Sewell was born and raised in Texas and later moved to Chicago where he fell in love with the taverns, restaurants, and everything the city had to offer. Before pursuing the restaurant business, Sewell was a salesman at Fleischmann's Distilling Corporation. Richard Riccardo, born in Italy, found his way to the States and opened his own business, Riccardo's Restaurant and Gallery. The two men eventually met, and both had a desire to create food and wanted to form a business together. Sewell’s original vision was to open a Mexican restaurant in Chicago, but Riccardo was not too fond of the idea and thought Mexican food wouldn't exactly draw a midwestern crowd. The two men agreed to a joint business adventure in the pizza market and would make history with their vision of pizza.
In 1943, Swell and Riccardo opened the doors to The Pizzeria and created the iconic Chicago “Deep-Dish Pizza” which was unlike traditional pizza. The two saw an opportunity to capitalize on the popularity of Riccardo's first restaurant and changed their business name to Riccardo's Pizzeria. Riccardo passed away in 1954 and Swell, being the sole owner, changed the name to Pizzeria Uno, which still operates today at 29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611. In 1955, a second location opened in Chicago and by 1978 the company began to offer franchise opportunities to entrepreneurs interested in joining the brand.
“Now is a great time to invest in a Pizzeria Uno,” says Erik Frederick, CEO of Pizzeria Uno. “Our brand has a long track record of helping entrepreneurs thrive. Our flexible business model, state-of-the-art technology, and iconic menu takes all the guesswork out of owning a pizza business. We have plans to expand across the nation, and we’re looking for passionate entrepreneurs to join our growing franchise family.”
Chicago-style pizza is in its own class. For example, New York-style pizza is typically served in large slices with thin crust, but the Chicago style is a soft, doughy pizza that is cooked in a “deep dish” rather than a pizza peel and is typically eaten with a fork and knife. Chicago is known for a lot, but the heart of “Deep-Dish Pizza” will always be a staple of the Windy City!
Today, people all over the world will celebrate National Deep-Dish Pizza Day by indulging in the World-Famous Chicago-Style Pizza!