Home Run Inn was born in 1923 on the South Side of Chicago, built by a family with a passion for bringing
people together over good food. A century later, that same spirit drives everything we do,from the
restaurants and frozen pizzas that carry our name to the communities we serve and the people who
make it all possible. We’re not just a pizza company. We’re a family-owned legacy rooted in heritage,
flavor, and an unshakeable commitment to quality.
Our Story
A Home Run Legacy
Our story began in 1923 on Chicago’s South Side, where the Grittani family opened a small neighborhood tavern built on simple values: family, quality, and bringing people together. One day, a baseball came crashing through the tavern window from a nearby game. Someone joked it was a home run, and the name Home Run Inn was born.
In the 1940s, Mary Grittani and her son-in-law, Nick Perrino, created a thin, Chicago tavern-style pizza. Originally served as a complimentary snack at the bar, it quickly became the main attraction. Known for its distinctive flavor, signature aged dough, and all-natural ingredients, Home Run Inn’s tavern-style pizza didn’t take long to become a Chicago icon.
Then, in the late 1950s, a customer from Wisconsin asked for his pizza partially baked so he could take it back home. Inspired by this idea, Home Run Inn began par-baking pizzas, freezing them, and delivering them to local corner grocery stores—becoming the pioneers of frozen pizza.
Our Pizza
Tavern-Style Pizza
Every Home Run Inn pizza, whether fresh from our restaurants or fresh from your oven at home, is made
with all-natural ingredients from the same distinctive, signature aged dough, freshly shredded
mozzarella, and high-quality toppings. No shortcuts or compromises.
Tavern-Style square cut pizza originated as a snack served at Home Run Inn’s original tavern bar to make customers thirstier. These slices were cut into small snack sized squares so customers could eat them with one hand while holding a drink in the other. Square-cut is part of our legacy and Chicago roots.
On October 22, 2024, National Day Calendar introduced National Tavern-Style Pizza Day and named Chicago’s Home Run Inn its official founder—celebrating the brand’s South Side tavern heritage and legendary thin-crust pizza.
SAUCE
Our sauce begins with vine-ripened tomatoes from Modesto, CA then blended with our signature seasonings to deliver a bright, authentic, all-natural taste.
Cheese
Our whole-milk mozzarella is shredded fresh daily, never made with fillers or dry-powder milk, and crafted with all-natural ingredients for rich, creamy flavor in every bite.
Dough
Our dough is made from scratch daily with simple, all-natural ingredients and slow-fermented to create the signature rich, buttery flavor and perfectly flaky crust we’re known for.
Meat
Our uncured pepperoni (untouched by nitrates or fillers) and our all-natural homemade italian sausage are crafted with all-natural ingredients and seasoned in-house for bold, authentic flavor.
Home Run Inn’s History
Pizza, Family, & Good Times
We prioritize food quality and safety while fostering a safe, inclusive, and vibrant work environment,
enhanced by a rewarding recognition program, company-wide events, and team celebrations.
1923
The Original Tavern Opens
Mary and Vincent Grittani open a neighborhood tavern at 31st Street and Kildare Avenue on Chicago's South Side.
Mid 1920s
Home Run Inn Gets Its Name
When a baseball from a local neighborhood game came crashing through the tavern's front window, the Tavern officially got its name: Home Run Inn.
Early 1940's
Tavern-Style Pizza is Born
Nick Perrino and his mother-in-law Mary put complimentary square-cut pizza on the bar as a snack and customers quickly started asking for the pizza more than the drinks. The family's original recipe from Bari, Italy became an instant hit, and the famous tavern-style tradition was born.
1947
Pizza Officially Joins the Menu
As demand for Mary and Nick’s square-cut pizza grew, it became more than a complimentary tavern snack. In 1947, Home Run Inn began selling pizza, turning a neighborhood favorite into a family tradition that continues today.
Late 1960s
A Pioneer in Frozen Pizzas
Inspired by a loyal customer who took partially baked pies home to freeze, Home Run Inn began delivering pizzas to local grocery stores becoming one of the first pioneers of the frozen pizza concept.
1987
USDA Plants Open
Home Run Inn opens its first USDA production facility behind the original restaurant and expands with a second pizzeria in Darien, IL marking the start of serious growth on both fronts.
2022
Nationwide Distribution
Home Run Inn expands distribution, making Chicago tavern-style pizza available throughout the United States.
Home Run Inn’s History
Pizza With Purpose
At Home Run Inn, giving back isn't a campaign, it's who we are. As a family-founded Chicago restaurant,
we believe it is our responsibility to do our part to help create a healthy, happy, and sustainable future
for everyone. That passion shows up in our actions: the meals we serve, the partnerships we build, and
the people we show up for. Together, we've fed over 1,000,000 people and we're just getting started.
Home Run Inn & Donors Choose
Home Run Inn Pizza is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities it serves. In August and September, a portion of all pizza proceeds will support public school teachers in providing basic essentials for children in need, including breakfast for hungry students.
Home Run Inn believes that together, we can empower students to thrive and strengthen our communities.
Home Run Inn & After-School All-Stars
We’re proud to have partnered with After-School All-Stars, a nonprofit providing free afterschool and summer programs for underserved youth. Reaching over 140,000 students annually, ASAS empowers kids through health & wellness, academic readiness, STEM, arts, and career exploration. Learn more about their impactful work today!
Pizza Donations
Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed the new school year when Home Run Inn sent thousands of CPS students home on the first day of school with one of their favorite treats – a pizza. Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department members distributed 6000 pizzas to students at 25 elementary schools on the South and West sides. Together, a pizza symbolized so much more: the commitment to our young learners, the power of shared values, and the beauty of a city that truly cares.
Feed My Starving Children
Our Home Run Inn family visits Feed My Starving Children to help pack food for starving children throughout the world multiple times a year. In 2022, 506 Home Run Inn volunteered, working together to produce 228,744 meals!
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Each year Home Run Inn employees deliver toys and pizza to sick children at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. We take great pride in bringing joy and love to these children around the holidays!
Home Run Inn helps fight hunger with Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS)
In partnership with City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), Home Run Inn distributed 10,000 pizzas throughout 2022 to Chicagoans in need.
Be Part of the Next Chapter
Over 100 years in, the Home Run Inn story is still being written — and there's a place in it for you. Whether you're a seasoned hospitality professional or someone looking to grow, we'd love for you to join the team that's been feeding Chicago's heart since 1923.
