Aurelio's Pizza
Aurelio's is Pizza!
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Aurelio's Pizza · see source
Aurelio's Pizza, an Illinois chain, specializes in Chicago-style thin crust pizza. It has three company-owned restaurants and 37 franchises across six states. Since 1974, it has been the oldest Chicago pizza franchise operation.
History
James Aurelio founded Macomb, Illinois' first pizza restaurant, The Italian Village, in 1952. In the mid-1950s, his nephew Joe Aurelio Jr. came to work there. Joe later moved back to the Chicago area in 1959 and opened his own four-table restaurant, Aurelio's, on Ridge Rd. in Homewood.
Both Aurelios specialized in a thin crust pizza sliced in Chicago-style square pieces. The chain's main competitors include Rosati's Pizza, Nancy's Pizza, and Home Run Inn. James Aurelio's son Larry Aurelio later started a separate chain named Larry A's.
In popular culture
In 2025, Aurelio's Pizza made headlines after Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected and news outlets highlighted his Chicago roots. The Prevost brothers have long frequented the restaurant. A 2024 image shared by the chain showed the then-cardinal dining with loved ones at the original Homewood location during a hometown trip. Seizing the moment, Aurelio's announced plans to trademark "Pope-a-Roni" for a new pizza.
More in Regional Restaurant Chains in the United States
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Aurelio's Pizza (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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