Lou Malnati's

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is a Chicago-area restaurant brand and one of the oldest family names in Chicago-style deep dish pizza. It was founded by Luciano "Lou" Malnati and his wife Jean, who opened the first Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Lincolnwood, Illinois, on March 17, 1971. Lou had learned the deep dish craft in the 1940s at Chicago's first deep dish pizzeria, and he carried that expertise into his own family-run restaurant, which he intended to be a model of hospitality dedicated to family. After Lou's death from cancer in 1978, his sons Marc and Rick joined their mother Jean to continue the business. The brand is best known for its signature Chicago-style deep dish pizza, built on a flaky, buttery crust the company markets as Buttercrust, layered with sliced mozzarella, toppings such as its exclusive seasoned sausage, and chunky vine-ripened tomato sauce. Lou Malnati's also serves tavern-style thin crust pizza, salads, wings and desserts. The company emphasizes long-standing sourcing relationships, including California plum tomato growers and a Wisconsin dairy it says it has used for mozzarella for over 40 years. From its Lincolnwood origin, Lou Malnati's expanded across the Chicago metropolitan area and later into Arizona, and it has become a destination for visitors seeking Chicago-style pizza. The business remains family-owned and privately held, with a loyalty program, Lou's Rewards, and a catering menu supporting its restaurant and carryout operations. Its official history frames the brand as "a Chicago original" and an enduring local institution.

Lou Malnati's traces its roots to the 1940s, when Luciano "Lou" Malnati got his start working at Chicago's first deep dish pizzeria. Lou later decided to open his own restaurant, taking his expertise to Lincolnwood, a northern suburb of Chicago, where he and his wife Jean opened the first Lou Malnati's Pizzeria on March 17, 1971. According to the company's own history, opening day was memorable not only because customers got their first taste of Lou's deep dish pizza but because a car crashed through the walls of the main dining room during the dinner hour; Jean later recalled the incident as making for an "exciting" opening. Lou, described as a fun-loving character, wanted his restaurant to be a model of hospitality and a place dedicated to family. After enormous success in Lincolnwood, Lou decided to expand the business. In 1978, his life was tragically cut short when he fell victim to cancer. Lou's two sons, Marc and Rick, then joined their mother Jean to continue the family business and carry forward what Lou had begun. The family's commitment to hospitality and deep dish pizza turned Lou's vision into a lasting legacy, and over the following decades Lou Malnati's became one of Chicago's most important and enduring institutions and a symbol of the city's culture and Chicago-style pizza. The company's own decade-by-decade history highlights the 1970s as the founding era, the 1980s and 1990s as periods of growth and community involvement, the 2000s as the time it became a destination for Chicago-style pizza, and more recent years as the era when it "headed west" to Arizona. Throughout, the brand has emphasized continuity of recipe and sourcing: a secret flaky, buttery crust recipe passed down for generations, California vine-ripened plum tomatoes blended and canned exclusively for Lou Malnati's, an exclusive seasoned sausage, and mozzarella from the same small Wisconsin dairy the company says it has partnered with for over 40 years. The business remains family-owned and privately held, operating pizzerias, carryout, catering and the Lou's Rewards loyalty program.

• 2000

  The company describes the 2000s as the decade it became a destination for Chicago-style pizza.

• 1978

  Lou Malnati died of cancer; sons Marc and Rick joined their mother Jean to continue the family business.

• 1971

  Lou and Jean Malnati opened the first Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Lincolnwood, Illinois, on March 17.

• 1943

  Grandpa Malnati helped create the original Chicago-style deep dish pizza recipe at Chicago's first deep dish pizzeria.

• Lou Malnati's expanded west into Arizona.

Family-owned Chicago-style deep dish pizzeria positioned as a Chicago original and destination for authentic Chicago-style pizza.

• Chicago-style Deep Dish pizza

  Flaky, buttery crust with fresh mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes.

• Thin Crust pizza

  Golden crispy crust cut Chicago-style and loaded with Lou's signature flavors.

• Salads, wings and desserts

  Additional menu items beyond pizza.

• Catering menu

  Catering offerings for events and groups.

1. 1Lou Malnati's, the Best Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Restaurantloumalnatis.com
2. 2The History Behind Chicago's Deep Dish Icon | Lou Malnati'sloumalnatis.com
3. 3Our Story & Deep Dish Pizza Legacy in Chicago | Lou Malnati'sloumalnatis.com
4. 4About Our Chicago Deep Dish Pizza | Lou Malnati'sloumalnatis.com
5. 5Chicago's Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Partners with Cogensia for Customer-Focused Marketingenewschannels.com
6. 6Lou Malnati's Pizzeria opens its deep-dish doors in Waukesha, albeit as takeout and delivery-only locationjsonline.com
7. 7Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria In Illinois Partners with Cogensia for Customer-Focused Marketing Solutionmassachusettsnewswire.com