Deep dish icon My Pi to close Sunday
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Art collectors and restaurateurs Larry and Evelyn Aronson met as teenagers at Senn High School. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Larry Aronson, 89, opened the first My Pi on Sheridan Road 54 years ago on a rainy Tuesday night.
- "But we had a line around the block because everybody knew I was a pretty good cook," he tells Axios. "No advertising, no sign. Just an open door and word of mouth."
Why it matters: Long lines are back at My Pi as it prepares to close its final location in Bucktown (2010 N. Damen Ave.) on Sunday.
Between the lines: At its height, the deep dish institution spread to up to 21 locations nationwide (and even some in Moscow), but after 44 years in the business, Aronson's son Rich tells Axios, "I'm a little tired."
- He also cites competition in the neighborhood, dining room space and an uncertain economy.
The origin: Larry says he started messing around with pizza recipes after going on dates to Pizzeria Uno with his wife Evelyn, 89, in the '50s.
- "Uno's was great but sometimes just too greasy," said Aronson, who grew up over his dad's bakery at Broadway and Argyle. "My hobby was to take great recipes and improve them by experimenting with different amounts of yeast and flour. And the secret to pizza is in the dough."
First menu: The original My Pi was designed as an elegant spot that just happened to serve pizza.
- "Our first menu had a sirloin steak ($5.95) served on China," says Aronson, who was juggling a separate job as a partner in a downtown brokerage firm in 1971. "I thought, 'Why can't you go out for a nice dinner and get pizza?'"
Flashback: The 1971 menu included:
- Small cheese pizza for $1.50
- Salad for 75 cents
- Skirt steak sandwich for $2.15
- Glass of wine for 60 cents
- Beer on tap for 40 cents
The restaurants were so successful, Aronson launched franchises across the nation with brokerage firm partners, spreading the deep dish gospel to Phoenix, Minneapolis and Oklahoma City.
- "In Minneapolis for a time, they didn't say 'let's go out for pizza,' they'd say 'let's go out for My Pi,'" Evelyn says.
Top tips: For a last taste of My Pi, the Aronsons recommend ordering pick up during the day this week or pre-ordering a frozen pizza by Thursday for pick up 48 hours later.
- For peak enjoyment, Larry advises eating at the restaurant or baking a par-cooked pizza at home at 450 degrees. "Otherwise it doesn't stay crisp because the steam [in the box] is coming off it and going back into the dough."
What's next: Larry and Evelyn remain avid cooks and patrons of modern art.
- After a much-needed vacation, Rich says he wants to stay in the food world, by "maybe teaching at a culinary school, but I'm definitely staying out of restaurants."
- He says they've gotten a few nibbles from those who might want to carry on the My Pi legacy, but "it's way too early to know."
Last bite: Fans will have a final chance to eat My Pi pizzas on Aug. 24 at Steve Dolinsky's Pizza City Fest.