This iconic Chicago deep-dish pizzeria is closing this summer after 50 years in business
After over half a century of cheesy, saucy, deep-dish glory, one of Chicago's most iconic pizza institutions is calling it quits. My Pi (yes, that one with the Greek symbol and the buttery crust) has announced it will permanently close its Bucktown location on June 29, marking the end of a pie-slinging era.
Founded in 1971 by Larry Aronson across from Loyola University in Rogers Park, My Pi helped put deep dish on the national map, opening 25 restaurants across nine states at its peak. Its distinctive recipe, which Aronson began perfecting in the '50s, used lower-acid tomatoes, a top-secret 'spice pack' and dough built on generations of baking knowledge (his family arrived from Bialystock, Belarus, in 1905). Forget the gut-bomb stuffed pies of rivals: My Pi's crust is lighter, airier and baked with balance in mind.
The current Bucktown location, tucked inside a low-key strip mall since 2000, is the last of its kind. It has weathered decades of shifting pizza trends and even a pandemic-era resurgence through takeout and nationwide frozen pie shipping options. But with rising costs, delivery app pressures and limited dine-in space, owner Rich Aronson (Larry's son, who's been working in the kitchen for 44 years) says the time has come to shutter.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by MyPiPizzaChicago (@mypipizzachicago)
'I just feel bad that the more balanced kind of tuxedo version of the deep dish... is kind of going away,' the owner said to Eater. For fans who know the difference between stuffed and true deep dish, this one hits hard.
The restaurant will continue to ship nationwide through June 22, and it will make one last public appearance at Steve Dolinsky's Pizza City Fest this fall. But, after that, it's oven off.
So if you've got memories of those vertical signs in Lincoln Park, Pac-Man in the waiting area, spinach soufflé pies or made-to-order salads that somehow made you feel less guilty, this is your last chance to experience it all. Bucktown's
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tammy Hembrow fuels rumours she has split with husband Matt Zukowski as she admits she is going through some 'heavy stuff'
Tammy Hembrow has fuelled rumours she has split from husband Matt Zukowski after admitting she is going through some 'heavy stuff'. In an emotional Instagram post, the fitness influencer, 31, opened up about some of the challenges she is currently dealing with and thanked her followers for their understanding. 'I just want to say thank you to everyone, I have been dealing with some heavy stuff. I feel like people can tell... I definitely don't like to pretend I am okay when I am not,' Tammy said. 'I feel like I have been trying to do that for a little while because I have so much I have to focus on. I just feel like pretending is doing me more harm than good.' Tammy added she would not go into detail about what she is going through, but asked her followers to be 'kind'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Reminder to be kind always. Everyone has something they're going through, so big hugs to anyone that needs it right now,' she added. She also shared a cryptic post that said 'when something feels off it is usually women's intuition'. It comes after Tammy was recently spotted not wearing her wedding ring. Meanwhile, her husband Matt has also ramped up rumours that his whirlwind romance with Tammy may be over after posting footage of himself going to the movies solo. The former Love Island star took to Instagram to share a video from inside the cinema, revealing he was watching Death of a Unicorn alone — a move which came after fans noticed he was absent from Tammy's 31st birthday celebrations. Sources close to the couple previously told Daily Mail Australia the pair are 'on a break', with Matt relocating back to Melbourne. 'Matt and Tammy are on a break. They're not saying it's over for good, but for now they're taking time apart,' the insider revealed. 'They're both emotional people, and they've decided to put their marriage on pause for now.' Tammy added she would not go into detail about what she is going through, but asked her followers to be 'kind' The fitness mogul shared several glamorous snaps from her big birthday, including photos of her decadent cake, extravagant floral arrangements and gifts. However, her husband was nowhere to be seen at the event. Tammy and Matt began dating in mid-2023, after he slid into her DMs and were engaged just three months later. They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Chateau Du Soleil in Byron Bay in November.
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Katie Price reveals daughter Princess, 17, approves her raunchy OnlyFans photos before she uploads them
Katie said she loves to get feedback from her daughter PICTURE PERFECT Katie Price reveals daughter Princess, 17, approves her raunchy OnlyFans photos before she uploads them KATIE Price, 47, has revealed she likes to show her raunchy OnlyFans photos to her daughter Princess, 17, before she uploads them. The mum-of-five famously started her subscription channel back in 2022, when she wore a nun's habit and a sash reading 'My body my rules' at the launch event. 3 Katie Price says she gets her daughter Princess, 17, to review her racy OnlyFans pics before she uploads them Credit: Paul Jacobs/ 3 Katie and Princess are very close Credit: Instagram Earlier this year, Katie revealed exclusively to The Sun that she can earn 'around £50,000 on a good month'. However, until February 2027, the taxman will take 40% of this as part of her first bankruptcy order. Speaking about her raunchy account on Katherine Ryan's podcast, What's My Age Again, Katie revealed that she often gets feedback from her daughter. She told the Canadian comedian: "I show Princess and she's like, 'mum, that's so good, that picture'. This and that. "This is what's funny about Princess. This is probably why we get on.' She went on: "She does her days where she goes out and does her pictures for her Instagram and she's like, mum, can you get eight outfits for me? I said, what, your clothes? "No, your clothes. I went, why do you want to use my clothes? Because your style, you do it better. So, she uses my clothes for her Instagram pictures." Katie recently revealed that she had been encouraging Princess to sign up for Love Island. Speaking on the latest episode of her podcast The Katie Price Show, she said: 'I keep saying to Princess, 'why don't you do Love Island?'' Revealing her response, Katie continued: ''No… because otherwise I'll be known as a Love Islander'. I said, 'No you won't, everyone knows you anyway'.' An told The Sun how Princess and her ex - who never revealed his identity during the romance - split on good terms. A source said: "She always kept the romance out of the public eye and it will be the same with her split. "They just grew apart - they were each other's first love so it has been tough but there are no hard feelings. "He's still on good terms with both Katie and Peter. "Princess is really concentrating on her career right now and there's no place for a man.' Princess' ex has unfollowed her on social media but does still follow all of her family members. It's been a week of highs and lows for Princess, who revealed she'd passed her driving test and showed off her £10,000 car. She proudly declared in the caption: 'I bought my first car' but was hit with criticism by fans, who believe it was actually mum and dad Katie and Peter Andre who actually forked out the cash for it. But Princess has now put that speculation to bed, hitting back at the comments and declaring: 'These comments are so funny. "To everyone out there, yes I work and yes I earn my own money which I'm super proud of and so thankful that I'm lucky enough to buy my own car xx."
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Full-time dentist set to compete with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at US Open weeks after losing dad to cancer
Golfer admitted it promises to be an emotional weekend AMAZING PLAQUE STORY Full-time dentist set to compete with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at US Open weeks after losing dad to cancer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DENTIST Matt Vogt is determined to extract as much joy as possible from his emotional homecoming, as he makes his US Open debut just a couple of months after losing his father to cancer. The fact that the tournament is being played at Oakmont in Pennsylvania - where Vogt caddied for six years as a youngster before earning a college scholarship - makes the event even more poignant. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Matt Vogt is a full-time dentist Credit: INSTAGRAM @thedentistsatgc 5 He will tee it up at the US Open golf major for the first time Credit: AP 5 Vogt will go up against giants of the sport like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler Credit: Getty Vogt, 34, was born and brought up a few miles from Oakmont. So he is guaranteed plenty of support this week, especially as TV stations in the US have been portraying his story as a modern-day fairytale. At 6ft 6in, the big-hitting amateur will not be hard to spot. And he expects to experience an emotional roller-coaster over the next few days. His dad, Jim, died from colon cancer just a few weeks before Vogt earned a spot in the US Open field the hard way - winning a regional heat, and then finishing top of the pile again in a hotly-contested final qualifier. Back-to-back 68s at Wine Valley in Washington saw him finish ahead of plenty of seasoned PGA Tour players. So he has plenty of game, despite the fact he has never even considered turning professional himself. Vogt alternated between smiling broadly and fighting back tears, as he explained what it meant to be teeing off in a Major championship just a few yards away from where he used to hang out in the caddyshack. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS He commented: 'Oh, wow. Oh my goodness. I don't know where to start. "I just hope that what has happened to me will be an inspiration to anyone who is going through a tough time, wondering when the next good thing will happen. Inside Bryson DeChambeau's US Open preparation with 'fun side quests' on helicopter and racing Indy500 cars 'I think everyone knows about my dad's passing, and it's bound to be on my mind a lot this week, especially with it being Father's Day on Sunday. 'Even walking up the ninth fairway today after signing some autographs for some little kids - which was pretty awesome, by the way - I kind of looked up and thought about it. 'Anyone who's lost a parent, you feel these brief spurts of emotion, from time to time. "He had colon cancer. I wear the blue ribbon for that, and I say a prayer every night for people who have been affected by cancer. 'It's a horrible, horrible thing. He got that diagnosis last year, and it wasn't good. "Over the past few months before his passing, you could see it was starting to take a toll. So it's emotional, but honestly, I know he's in a better place. 'He was beginning to suffer, and that's something no one ever wants to see. "Although I wish he was still here with us, there's a sense of peace among our family. And I hope he's at peace as well, because it was hard. 'And for me, I have a 15-month-old daughter now, and the last few months, I feel like in a way I've gone from a boy to a man, and like matured as a person and as a dad.' Vogt, who has played in the US Amateur and Mid-Amateur golf tournaments, has been inundated with good luck messages from his patients, fellow dentists, other players - and the local caddies, who are all rooting for him. 5 Vogt knows he will have plenty of colleagues rooting for him Credit: INSTAGRAM @thedentistsatgc
