Three of Home Run Inn’s (HRI) nine Chicago restaurants are set to close permanently on March 2, according to news reports.
The well-known pizza brand, one of the country’s oldest, will shutter its restaurants in suburban Berwyn and Melrose Park and in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that HRI plans to focus on expanding its frozen pizza business.
It’s a surprising move from a company with Windy City roots dating back to 1923. HRI first operated as a tavern in Chicago’s South Side, then took the Home Run Inn name after an errant baseball from a neighborhood game smashed its window. By that time, the tavern, founded by Mary and Vincent Grittani, had already begun selling its crispy, thin-crust pizzas to customers for carryout.
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Family-owned to this day, HRI was also a pioneer in frozen pizza, selling par-baked pies to local grocery stores for retail in the 1950s.
In a statement, Gina Perrino Bolger, a fourth-generation family member and HRI’s chief marketing officer, said the company is “making thoughtful decisions to ensure we continue delivering the best possible experience….This strategic shift allows us to focus on our flagship and land-owned locations, enhance spaces and develop menus; invest in innovation; and elevate our brand for years to come.”
In November 2024, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that HRI’s ownership planned to create an independent board of directors, consisting of five to seven members, to guide the brand’s future. Two of the board members would be family members, while the others would bring new expertise to the company. The board was expected to be in place by the end of Q1 2025.
According to Crain’s, a job listing for the new board members stated, “Future directors should have a profound understanding of corporate and managerial finance and experience with the financial implications of organizational growth. Ideal candidates have experience working with complex multigenerational family businesses and an understanding of how to navigate family dynamics successfully.”
As of November, HRI’s frozen pizza line had entered California, and a national distribution deal with Albertsons had been secured. The brand also landed a deal with Walmart for distribution in the Midwest and the Southeast.
“Until we’re nationally distributed by all the major retailers, we’ve got work to do,” Costello told Crain’s at the time.
