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Nova Pizza
Pizza Nova’s signature specialty—loaded with sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and pepperoni.
OUR STORY · SINCE 1982
From one oven to a Chicago original.
Pizza Nova started with family recipes, years spent in Chicago-area kitchens, and a belief that good pizza brings people together.
A recipe rooted in family
Growing up, Tony spent hours beside his mother learning Italian favorites. He later worked in Italian restaurants and pizzerias around Chicago, where he continued developing his own pizza recipe. When he opened the first Pizza Nova, his mother's verdict was simple: “Molto Bene!”
Why “Pizza Nova”?
Tony's business partner Hector found the inspiration while looking at the night sky in Guadalajara. After seeing what looked like a star rising higher and higher, he brought the story home to Chicago. Together, they chose Pizza Nova—a name that represented the rising star they hoped the neighborhood pizzeria would become.
One oven. One small table.
The original operation was modest: one oven and a small table for making sandwiches, with a menu centered on pizza, sausage and Italian beef. As demand grew, so did the kitchen, the menu and Pizza Nova itself.
1982Humble beginnings
1 ovenWhere it started
5 locationsAcross Chicago today
Pizza Nova ExpressThe family grows
“A true pizza, a Pizza Nova pizza loaded with ingredients and rich in taste.”
— Pizza Nova