Pizza Bella is looking to relocate to Downtown Palatine, in the former home of the village’s oldest continuous businesses, at 16 N. Brockway St.
The Zimmer Hardware store stood at its downtown home for 136 years before closing in 2019. The building has remained vacant since, but now, Pizza Bella owner Tony DeFilippis hopes to relocate there in late Fall 2022 from its original site at 100 W. Northwest Highway in Clock Tower Plaza. The proposed two-story 7,895-square-foot building will feature a 3,885 square-foot dining area and kitchen with 82 seats. The new, larger location will also expand the menu by offering Italian ice and soft serve ice cream.
“We always hear a cry for kind of a hometown, local pizzeria,” DeFilippis tells The Daily Herald, mentioning the move is meant to fill a community need. “The (Palatine) downtown is second to none. We’re just going to be an amazing fit.”
Before the move can happen, The Palatine Zoning Board of Appeals will consider a special use permit request to allow the move. If approved, the new downtown location will offer the same menu as its current location, focusing on its prized product: pizza. Some of their most popular items include thin crust, tavern-style, and Detroit-style pizza. All of the bread and desserts will be made in-house.
