Operations
Leona’s Pizzeria, a Chicago legacy model celebrating its seventy fifth anniversary, is experiencing a resurgence beneath new household possession that is devoted to restoring its authentic recipes and traditions whereas embracing fashionable conveniences just like the area’s first pizza drive-thru.
Pictures: Leona’s Pizzeria & Restaurant
July 24, 2025 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Managing Editor, Networld Media Group
Chicago has a protracted historical past of legacy pizza manufacturers. Over time, Leona’s Pizzeria and Restaurant has opened and closed a variety of eating places. Now, with latest modifications in possession, nonetheless, there is a new period for Leona’s ready.
The model not too long ago celebrated the opening of its fourth Chicagoland restaurant on July 8. The opening launched Northern Illinois’ first pizza drive-thru and advertising and marketing Leona’s seventy fifth anniversary.
Leona’s Pizzeria & Restaurant was based in 1950 by Leona Pianetto Molinaro Szemla in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. It is now beneath the possession of CEO Billy Marino and his household.
Now in its seventy fifth 12 months, Leona’s has been a repeatedly run model. At one time, the unique household operated upwards of 12 areas. In 2013, they bought the model to a different particular person, who did not develop it, merely operated it. The pandemic hit, and it put Leona’s in peril.
The Marino household acquired it in 2022. Marino’s father, Wayne, was a pizza supply driver for Leona’s. Marino stated he and his household seen that over time, traditions and recipes weren’t being adopted.
Marino referred to as Leona’s grandson, Leon Toia, who constructed the model within the 80s and 90s. He is been instrumental in getting Marino’s group previous recipes, logos and advertising and marketing supplies whereas serving as an advisor to the model because it begins to regrow.
In 1952, Leona purchased a fleet of automobiles and conjured up one of many first pizza supply companies within the nation. She affixed neon indicators atop the automobiles for added advertising and marketing.
“Lots of people do not know simply how iconic Leona’s was,” Billy Marino stated in a cellphone interview with Pizza Market.
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Photograph: Leona’s |
On the menu
As we speak, Leona’s is thought for its thin-crust pizza. Mozzarella bricks (hand-cut and fried), Romano-crusted rooster — a non-fried crusted rooster breaded in home and baked — and fettuccine Alfredo are additionally standard dishes, however some 65% of gross sales is pizza-based. Jumbo wings are additionally massive sellers.
The pizza is tavern lower and whereas they do have a Sicilian pan and a Chicago deep dish, it is the skinny crust for which the model is now identified.
“If I get 200 tickets on a Friday night time, I would make two deep-dish pizzas, and I am going to make 150 skinny crusts,” Marino stated.
Dough, marinades and sauces are made in-house, as is the Romano rooster breading.
“We observe recipes that return so far as Leona’s has been round,” Marino stated. “I observe the traditions of Leona’s and we need to have the best high quality. Lots of people can simply make pizza. The can by way of stuff on dough and make it. All people thinks they will make pizza. All people. However once you begin being attentive to the standard of the substances that you just placed on the pizza, you possibly can inform an amazing distinction.”
The crackery-thin dough requires particular dealing with and flour that almost all pizzaiolos need to study. It is not straightforward to make by itself, not to mention to make and convey into the eating places. Greens are chopped in-house, they use imported mushrooms, and sausage is made for Leona’s with a proprietary recipe from Greco & Sons.
“Each single factor we placed on that pizza, I’ve a recipe guide with lots of of recipes,” Marino stated, including “which is the best way I believe most Chicago pizzerias are.”
Even cannoli and tiramisu are made on website.
Pizzas are baked in conventional deck ovens, although they’ve added a Middleby Marshall conveyor oven to the most recent restaurant to check and see if it might create the identical pizza because the deck ovens.
“The Middlebys really outperformed our expectations,” Marino stated.
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Photograph: Leona’s |
Operations
The model simply opened a fourth location in a Chicago suburb. To make sure consistency throughout the model, there are recipe books and coaching supplies designed to keep up high quality. The entire preparation is managed by Marino’s management group.
“If we discover a deviation, we right it straight away,” Marino stated. “There’s a whole lot of competitors for pizza in Chicago however not one model can dominate the pizza market on the town.
“We need to take prime quality, Chicago-style pizza round to areas the place it is underserved, and we need to excel by having the ability to supply that in areas the place they only do not have a whole lot of entry to that,” Marino stated. Although most individuals suppose Chicago is thought for its deep-dish pizza, it is the crackery skinny crust that you’re going to most certainly discover on most menus on the town.
Marino stated Leona’s “missed the bus” by not changing into a nationwide model when it was so standard within the latter a part of the last decade.
The model is testing its first drive-thru within the McHenry location which opened earlier within the month. Marino stated he is “pretty assured” drive-thrus will probably be profitable for the model for comfort and pace in a post-COVID world. Solely 15% of gross sales are dine-in. The drive-thru is simply one other means for Leona’s to be handy.
The price construction to function has quadrupled since 2019, in line with Marino. Labor prices are skyrocketing, actual property costs are excessive — particularly in Chicago — and the prices of products have risen.
“I believe simply usually, not simply pizzerias however eating places usually, the headwinds are towards us from all instructions,” Marino stated. “There is not one factor. However folks, on the identical time, are ordering as a lot if no more meals than they ever have.”
Proper now, Marino stated Leona’s is trying to keep within the larger Midwest space. Franchising may begin as early as subsequent 12 months.
“We’re perfecting all of our methods and our coaching,” Marino stated. “We have systemized each little factor that makes it Leona’s all the way down to the ounce of an ingredient that goes in and the place it comes from in order that we will replicate it with the identical high quality.”
The plan is to develop within the larger Midwest space corresponding to southern Wisconsin, northwest Indiana and within the larger Chicagoland space. The model is in talks to open in areas the place Chicagoans have retired as nicely, together with Arizona, Florida, Texas and the Carolinas.
Marino stated they’re making an attempt to embrace and lean into the historical past of Leona’s, the place the whole lot previous is new once more.
“We have now to vary with the occasions, however we’ve to stay to the previous values and recipes,” Marino stated. “However we’re adjusting for expertise. We’re adjusting for shopper habits.”
Individuals are ordering extra meals than ever, however they’re doing it otherwise than previously. They don’t seem to be sitting down of their eating rooms and ordering from their native pizza joint.
“We need to observe that development and embrace it and be a part of it and cleared the path, they means Leona’s did within the 50s.”
For these operators trying to enter the enterprise, Marino stated to deal with the standard of the meals, as a result of that may’t be faked.
“Give the shoppers good high quality, deal with the meals and be very aware of occupancy and what labor prices. It could actually get uncontrolled very quick,” Marino stated, “and you will not even understand how over your skiis you might be with that till you may have a packed eating room or a busy night time and also you understand you did not make any cash that night time as a result of flooded it with folks and your lease’s too excessive and your utilities are killing you.”
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the positioning editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has greater than 20 years’ expertise masking meals, folks and locations.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings greater than 20 years’ expertise to Networld Media Group. She has spent almost 20 years masking the pizza business, from unbiased pizzerias to multi-unit chains and each measurement enterprise in between. Mandy has been featured on the Meals Community and has received quite a few awards for her protection of the restaurant business. She has an insatiable urge for food for studying, and may let you know the place to seek out the very best slices within the nation after spending 15 years touring and consuming pizza for a residing.
