Students and Evanston residents looking for a pizza fix will have a new option with Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, which is scheduled to open today.
The restaurant, now located at 1850-54 Sherman Ave., fills the former home of Yesterday’s, a bar and eatery that was a popular student hangout until it closed fall 2000. Malnati’s received some opposition from neighbors, but was eventually approved by the city in December 2002.
Rick Malnati, who owns the chain of Malnati restaurants with his brother, Marc Malnati, said they chose the Evanston as their 21st location because it was as close as they could get to home without actually being there. The brothers grew up in Wilmette, where they already have a pizzeria.
District manager Dennis D’Angelo said the brothers wanted to create a “home feeling” for both customers and employees. The restaurant boasts a couch and big screen television in addition to its 12 tables.
“They all won’t be able to fit on the couch to watch TV,” he joked.
The restaurant specializes in deep-dish pizza, but also offers thin-crust pizza and sandwiches among the items on its menu. The store also plans to offer delivery service.
To celebrate the restaurant’s opening, friends and neighbors of the Malnatis, along with some Northwestern students, mingled around the restaurant at a pre-opening dinner Wednesday, making use of the couch, leaning against walls and even sitting on floors. Guest and magician Brian Kaye entertained kids in one corner.
“A large part of Malnati’s is about building relationships,” corporate chef Jim Freeland said. “It’s a big family-owned and -operated place, so when people come, we want them to stay awhile.”
Marketing Director Rich Oleff said he wants this sentiment to extend to the NU community.
“There is a big market for us and we want to work with the students,” Oleff said. “We hope there will be a very good relationship with the university.”
Students may have noticed that in recent weeks, odd flyers have appeared around campus referencing an obscure “Lou.” Three students lent a hand to the marketing plan.
“We had more insight and could feel out what would work best with NU students,” said Daisie Yu Siska, a Kellogg School of Management student who collaborated with the Malnatis’ marketing team.
“(The flyers) made it more of a mystery,” she said. “So people would think, ‘Who is Lou?'”
By using simple phrases such as “Lou wants you,” Siska said the aim was to extend a personal invitation to his restaurant.
Located just beyond the edge of South Campus, across from Willard Residential College, Malnati’s is accessible to both students and Evanston residents.
District manager Dennis D’Angelo says Malnati’s hopes to have no problem attracting one group of students — Willard Residential College residents.
“Hopefully they can smell the pizza because they’re so close,” D’Angelo said.
