Uno Chicago Grill
Uno Chicago Grill, now branded primarily as Uno Pizzeria & Grill, is an American franchised restaurant chain known for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
Last updated October 17, 2026
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Overview
Uno Chicago Grill is the former restaurant name of Uno Pizzeria & Grill, an American franchised dining chain whose identity is rooted in the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza associated with its first restaurant, Pizzeria Uno. The original location opened in Chicago's Near North Side in 1943 through the efforts of Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo. The business developed around a distinctive deep-dish format and later added a second historic Chicago restaurant, Pizzeria Due, in 1955. An adjacent Mexican concept, Su Casa, followed in 1965. The company moved from a small group of Chicago restaurants toward a broader licensing and franchising model. In 1978, Sewell licensed the restaurant name and concept to Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation in the Boston area, and the company began franchising in 1980. This expansion established Uno as a multi-state restaurant brand rather than solely a Chicago institution. A separate Uno Foods division was created in 1988 to distribute frozen and prepared deep-dish pizzas through supermarkets, airports, stadiums, cinemas, hotels, and service plazas. During the 1990s, the chain expanded beyond its original pizza-centered positioning. Restaurants added grills, fryers, sauté stations, broader beverage programs, larger portions, and a more extensive menu. In 1997, the operating name became Pizzeria Uno, Chicago Bar & Grill, later simplified to Uno Chicago Grill. New restaurants adopted a larger, Chicago-warehouse-inspired design and emphasized a casual bar-and-grill atmosphere while continuing to feature deep-dish pizza. The historic Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due locations retained a more traditional format and were not subjected to all of the later restaurant changes. Uno also experimented with alternative formats. Uno Due Go was introduced in 2008 as a fast-casual concept offering pizza, sandwiches, salads, and bakery products, particularly in airports and university settings. Uno Express, a faster-service format, was tested in BJ's Wholesale Club stores, but those units later closed or converted to other restaurant brands. The company claimed more than 200 locations in the mid-2000s, but full-service restaurant counts were typically lower than that broad figure, partly because Uno Foods distribution points were included in some promotional materials. The business encountered severe financial pressure during the Great Recession. In January 2010, Uno Restaurant Holdings closed 16 restaurants and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The restructuring reduced debt and annual interest obligations, and the company emerged from bankruptcy in July 2010. Ownership later passed to Twin Haven Capital Partners, and the chain was sold to Newport Global Advisors in 2017. The company reached roughly 140 restaurants around 2014, but its footprint has since contracted. Erik Frederick became chief financial officer in 2018 and chief executive officer in 2020. Under Frederick, the brand focused on a smaller menu, operational consistency, franchise development, and placements in major hotels. By the end of 2023, Uno reported at least 77 restaurants across at least 20 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, plus international locations in Saudi Arabia and India. The chain's contemporary positioning combines its Chicago pizza heritage with a casual family setting, locally adapted restaurant interiors, a broader casual-dining menu, and franchise-led growth. In February 2023, the Uno Foods production and packaged-food business was sold separately to Great Kitchen Food Company, distinguishing restaurant operations from that food-manufacturing division.
History
Uno's history begins with Pizzeria Uno, which opened in Chicago in 1943. Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo established the restaurant in the Near North Side after Sewell's original interest in Mexican food led to a different concept. The restaurant became associated with a substantial, pie-like deep-dish pizza. Uno identifies the restaurant as an originator of Chicago deep-dish pizza, although historical accounts have also attributed the recipe's creation to chef Rudy Malnati Sr. A second Chicago location, Pizzeria Due, opened one block from the first restaurant in 1955. The Italian names for one and two supplied the identity for the early locations. Sewell and his associates later opened Su Casa, an upscale Mexican restaurant, beside Pizzeria Due in 1965. These original Chicago properties remained important heritage locations even as the wider chain adopted a more standardized franchised model. In 1978, Sewell licensed the Uno name and concept to Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation for expansion in the Boston area. The company began franchising in 1980, initially operating four Massachusetts restaurants before expanding across the United States. The chain's growth was supported by its recognizable deep-dish proposition, but it also gradually moved toward a broader casual-dining model. In 1988, Uno Foods was created to sell frozen and prepared pizza through retail, travel, entertainment, institutional, and hospitality channels. The restaurant format changed substantially during the 1990s. Beginning in 1994, kitchens were equipped for a wider menu that included grilled and fried food, while training and restaurant systems were expanded. Beverage offerings were broadened in 1996, portions grew in the late 1990s, and new restaurants used a larger warehouse-inspired Chicago design. The name changed to Pizzeria Uno, Chicago Bar & Grill in 1997 and was later shortened to Uno Chicago Grill. Deep-dish pizza remained central, but the chain increasingly competed as a full-service bar-and-grill restaurant. The historic Chicago restaurants were treated differently and retained their original character. The company pursued additional formats in the 2000s. Uno Due Go was launched in 2008 as a fast-casual concept for airports, universities, and other compact locations. Uno Express was tested as a faster-service model, including units inside BJ's Wholesale Club stores. Neither format became a lasting replacement for the core full-service chain. Public location counts also varied because promotional totals sometimes included distribution points for Uno Foods rather than only sit-down restaurants. Financial difficulties culminated in January 2010, when Uno Restaurant Holdings closed 16 restaurants and sought Chapter 11 protection. The restructuring was designed to exchange or reorganize substantial secured debt, lower annual interest expense, and improve the company's capital structure. Uno exited bankruptcy in July 2010 with substantially lower debt. During the following decade, control passed to Twin Haven Capital Partners, and the company reached a reported high point of roughly 140 restaurants around 2014. Newport Global Advisors acquired the business from Twin Haven in 2017. The pandemic period placed additional pressure on restaurant operations, and several alternative-format locations closed. The chain subsequently emphasized franchise expansion, hotel partnerships, a more focused menu, and operational consistency. Erik Frederick, who became CEO in 2020 after serving as CFO, described menu simplification as a way to make execution more reliable. By November 2023, Uno reported 77 restaurants in the United States and Puerto Rico, together with international locations in Saudi Arabia and India. The brand continued to present itself as a casual family dining business with deep-dish pizza at its core, while allowing some restaurants to reflect local themes rather than following an entirely uniform design.
- 2023
Uno Foods is divested
[1]The packaged-food division and Brockton production facility are sold to Great Kitchen Food Company.
- 2020
Erik Frederick becomes CEO
[1]Frederick is promoted from chief financial officer to chief executive officer.
- 2017
Newport Global Advisors acquires the chain
[1]Newport Global Advisors purchases Uno Restaurant Holdings from Twin Haven Capital Partners.
- 2010
Chapter 11 restructuring completed
[1]Uno Restaurant Holdings emerges from bankruptcy after a debt and interest-cost restructuring.
- 2008
Uno Due Go launches
[1]The company introduces a fast-casual format for pizza, sandwiches, salads, and bakery products.
- 1997
Restaurant name changes to Pizzeria Uno, Chicago Bar & Grill
[1]The chain adopts a broader bar-and-grill identity before later simplifying the name to Uno Chicago Grill.
- 1988
Uno Foods is established
[1]A food division begins distributing frozen and prepared deep-dish pizza through multiple channels.
- 1980
Franchising begins
[1]The company begins formally franchising the restaurant concept.
- 1978
Uno concept licensed for Boston-area expansion
[1]Ike Sewell licenses the name and concept to Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation.
- 1965
Su Casa launches
[1]An upscale Mexican restaurant opens next to Pizzeria Due.
Products and positioning
A casual, family-oriented American restaurant chain built around Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, with bar-and-grill menu breadth and a strong franchise component.
Pizza · 1943
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza
Uno's signature offering is a thick, substantial Chicago-style pizza baked in a deep pan. It remains the central product associated with the brand and anchors both the historic Chicago restaurants and the franchised restaurant menu.
Pizza
Specialty pizzas
The chain has offered multiple topped deep-dish and other pizza varieties alongside its original format. Historical examples include Spinoccoli, Spinach, Shroom, and Seafood Delicato, although individual varieties have been discontinued, reformulated, or reintroduced over time.
Restaurant menu · 1994
Casual-dining entrées
Following its 1990s format expansion, Uno added grilled, fried, pasta, sandwich, salad, and other entrée categories. These products support the brand's bar-and-grill positioning and allow it to serve customers seeking a meal beyond pizza.
Packaged food · 1988
Uno Foods packaged pizza
Uno Foods produced frozen and prepared deep-dish pizza for supermarkets, airports, stadiums, cinemas, hotels, and service plazas. This division was sold separately to Great Kitchen Food Company in 2023 and is no longer the same operating business as the restaurant chain.
Fast-casual restaurant format · 2008
Uno Due Go
Uno Due Go was a smaller fast-casual concept offering pizza, sandwiches, salads, and bakery items. It was used primarily in airports and university environments, but all reported locations had closed by 2020.
Quick-service restaurant format · 2009
Uno Express
Uno Express was a faster-service format tested in locations including BJ's Wholesale Club stores. The company planned broad expansion, but the initial units had closed or been converted to other brands by 2012.
Brand decisions
2023
Simplify the restaurant menuStrategyBackground
Management identified menu complexity as a risk to consistency and restaurant execution.
Action taken
CEO Erik Frederick directed the business toward a more focused menu while preserving core pizza offerings.
Aftermath
The strategy was linked to improved operational focus and a renewed emphasis on franchise growth and hotel partnerships.
2023
Sell Uno FoodsM&ABackground
The packaged-food manufacturing and distribution operation was distinct from the restaurant business.
Action taken
Uno Foods, including its Brockton production facility, was sold to Great Kitchen Food Company.
Aftermath
The transaction separated the packaged-food operation from the continuing Uno restaurant brand.
2010
Restructure through Chapter 11StrategyBackground
Restaurant closures and heavy debt obligations placed pressure on Uno Restaurant Holdings.
Action taken
The company filed for Chapter 11, closed 16 restaurants, and reorganized its debt and ownership structure.
Aftermath
Uno emerged in July 2010 with lower debt and reduced annual interest obligations.
Debt and annual interest obligations. Total debt of approximately $176.3 million; proposed conversion involved approximately $142 million of senior secured notes → Total debt reduced to approximately $40 million; annual interest expense reduced by approximately $14.2 million (2010 restructuring)
2009
Plan expansion of Uno ExpressProduct launchBackground
A pilot was intended to test whether Uno could reach customers through a quick-service format.
Action taken
The company announced plans for at least 160 Uno Express locations, initially including units inside BJ's Wholesale Club stores.
Aftermath
The format did not become permanent; the initial units had closed or changed to other restaurant brands by 2012.
2008
Launch Uno Due GoProduct launchBackground
The company explored a smaller and faster format suited to airports, universities, and other nontraditional locations.
Action taken
Uno introduced a fast-casual concept serving pizza, sandwiches, salads, and bakery items.
Aftermath
The concept remained limited and its reported locations closed by 2020.
1994
Expand the menu beyond pizzaStrategyBackground
The chain sought to operate as a broader casual-dining restaurant rather than relying exclusively on pizza.
Action taken
Restaurants added sauté stations, grills, fryers, expanded training, and additional meal categories.
Aftermath
Uno developed a more extensive bar-and-grill identity while retaining deep-dish pizza as its signature.
Recent events
UNO Pizzeria & Grill launches $99 Pizza Pass and Bottomless Pizza & Salad[3]
UNO Pizzeria & Grill launched two new dine-in all-you-can-eat promotions: a limited-edition $99 Pizza Pass, on sale exclusively at www.mypizzapass.com beginning Thursday, Aug. 20 at 3 p.m. ET with just 1,000 passes released nationwide, and a Bottomless Pizza & Salad deal for $14.99 per person. Both offerings run from Saturday, Sept. 5 until Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 and include unlimited servings of UNO's Deep Dish Pizza plus House or Caesar Salad at participating locations nationwide.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
UNO introduces a new franchise concept[4]
Reported:
UNO Pizzeria & Grill introduced a franchise concept that recreates the look and feel of its original Chicago location and offers franchisees a customizable floor plan.
UNO Pizzeria & Grill launches employee vaccine concierge service[5]
Reported:
UNO Pizzeria & Grill announced an internal concierge service to help employees secure and attend vaccine appointments. The complimentary bilingual service is available to employees at company-owned restaurant locations, its UNO Foods manufacturing plant, and the corporate office.
Sources5 sources
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