'Tis a sad day for pizza fans: Aurelio's Pizza, the national 'za chain born in the Chicago suburbs way back in 1959, will be closing its last Chicago location at 1212 S. Michigan Ave. at the end of May.
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Aurelio's will shutter on the south end of Grant Park on Saturday, May 31 after a decade in business. (The two-story, 5,000-square-feet restaurant debuted in the Park Michigan Apartments in 2015.) Recent reports reveal that a “for lease” sign has already been hung on the exterior of the building.
The late Joseph A. Aurelio Jr. launched the legendary brand on August 20, 1959, as a small four-table restaurant slinging traditional family recipes at 2041 Ridge Road in Homewood, Illinois. He started franchising in 1970, with Aurelio's becoming the first Chicago pizzeria to expand its concept. At present day, the chain operates 40-plus outposts throughout the United States, the bulk of them in Illinois and nearby Northwest Indiana, but also in destinations like Las Vegas, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Naples, Florida.
Aurelio's menu includes fresh-cooked pasta with house-made sauce (marinara, Alfredo), snacky Italian-American favorites like garlic bread and fried ravioli, and nearly 30 different varieties of pizza, from thick-crust to stuffed. The chain's loaded submarine sandwiches are also the stuff of legend, which the Aurelio family has been serving since the brand's beginnings. (The original sub sports imported ham, Italian beef and salami topped with mozzarella cheese, shredded lettuce and house dressing.)
But over the decades, the chain's top-selling item has been Chicago-style thin crust, "a crackery, buttery, crisp crust, lots of cheese, and cut into squares that doesn’t get nearly enough attention," per the brand. A wide array of toppings including hot giardiniera, Ortega peppers and Italian beef are available additions, but Aurelio's most popular variety is the Super Six pie, which features "the works," a.k.a. sausage, ham, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Get it while you can!