• To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Home Run Inn aimed to set a record for the world’s largest pizza party before the Chicago Cubs took on the Cincinnati Reds.
• The chain also donated one pizza for every slice consumed at the party to feed 12,000 Chicagoans in need.

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Chicago-based Home Run Inn (HRI) kicked October off with a pizza party. And not just any pizza party, mind you—the company said it’s the largest one ever held on the planet.

According to a press release, Home Run Inn, a member of PMQ’s Pizza Hall of Fame, broke the record for the world’s largest pizza party, drawing more than 1,000 people to its location at Gallagher Way, adjacent to Wrigley Field, prior to the Chicago Cubs’ October 1 game against the Cincinnati Reds.

A total of 1,086 guests enjoyed at least one slice of Home Run Inn pizza, breaking the previous record of 1,046. That record was set in September 2019 by Istituto Romano della Pizza and Marco Di Pietro in Rome, Italy, and was certified by Guinness World Records. Home Run Inn’s record isn’t certified by Guinness World Record criteria, but, as far as the chain is concerned, it’s still “mission accomplished.”

HRI also made a donation to the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) to feed 12,000 Chicagoans in need by donating one pizza for every slice consumed during the event.

The family-owned Home Run Inn has been dishing out pies and helping community causes in Chicago for 75 years, noted Gina (Perrino) Bolger, a fourth-generation HRI family member and the company’s senior vice president. “To pay tribute to our brand and the city we serve, we wanted to mark this anniversary in a monumental way that celebrates both our tradition and a cause dear to us,” she said. “This exciting moment will be a brand-long reminder of our sturdy heritage and our adoration for the City of Chicago.”

Founded by Mary and Vincent Grittani, Home Run Inn actually began in 1923 as a small tavern on Chicago’s South Side and started offering pizza in 1947. There are currently nine HRI pizzerias throughout the Chicagoland area, with frozen pizza sold in more than 40 states. In fact, Home Run Inn was a frozen-pizza pioneer in the 1950s.

As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, HRI has partnered with City of Chicago DFSS to distribute 10,000 pizzas throughout the year to Chicagoans experiencing homelessness, Chicago seniors and low-income families. With a commitment to serving vulnerable populations, Home Run Inn and DFSS have already distributed more than 7,000 pizzas to homeless shelters, senior centers and Chicago public schools across the city in 2022.

Home Run Inn is also the official pizza of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, and its pies are sold at Chicago’s Midway International Airport.