March 24--Get ready for a lot more Quad Cities-style pizza. Roots Handmade Pizza has secured a location in Lakeview to build a third restaurant and is planning to open pizzerias in two other city neighborhoods and possibly in the suburbs.
When Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner of the The Fifty/50 Group opened Roots back in 2011, it wasn't exactly a sure bet that Chicagoans would fall for Quad Cities-style pizza. The quirky regional dish from the Illinois-Iowa border features a slightly sweet malt crust topped with everything from the familiar (pepperoni and sausage) to the out-there (the McDowell approximates the flavors of a Big Mac). Pies are cut into strips using a pair of scissors.
"Fortunately," Mohr says, "(Business) is going very, very well."
Roots opened its much-anticipated second location last year in Lincoln Square, and Mohr hopes the Lakeview location will be up and running by early 2017. The building is already theirs, but he's keeping the exact address under wraps for now.
And that's just the beginning. Mohr also plans to open a Roots in the South Loop (he's still hunting for the right location) and is investigating other neighborhoods for a possible fifth location after that.
From there, Mohr says he's "exploring close suburbs, like Evanston."
The menu will stay the same at all the locations, but the design will change to suit each neighborhood. "When we designed the (Lincoln Square) location, we wanted a lighter, brighter place for families," says Mohr. "We want to become a part of the neighborhood."
Roots Handmade Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave., 773-645-4949; 2200 W. Lawrence Ave., 773-433-5959, www.rootspizza.com
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