According to a recent Instagram post, The Pizza Joint will soon open at Washington Hall, located at 15 W Washington Street.
“The tentative opening date is January 8th for the date of the grand opening. Pizza Joint is brought to you by Artisan Baker Rich Labriola and is an extension of the restaurant Labriola Chicago located on Michigan Avenue,” a representative of Pizza Joint told What Now Chicago.
“The menu will feature Labriola Chicago’s award-winning deep dish in an iconic handheld deep-dish version as well as grandma slices, New York slices, and select salads. Pizza Joint will be your new staple lunch/dinner spot offering high-quality pizza slices on the go, perfect for nearby Chicago residents, office lunch breaks, and tourists near and far!”
“I wanted to bring our high-quality pizza to the people who are looking for a quick option that still offers the great taste and quality that they expect from a Chicago Pizza. When we had the opportunity to open in Washington Hall I knew that it was our chance to bring pizza slices to Chicago,” Rich added.
Rich Labriola is also behind Stan’s Donuts and Coffee, Doughboy Restaurant Group, Labriola Cafe and Bakery, and La Barra. According to the company’s website, “As a child, Rich would hide in the back seat of the car while his father drove to their family pizzeria so he could work side by side with his Dad making pizzas. As a young man, Rich held a series of jobs that did not spark his passion, but he knew that his intense drive and passion for quality would best be served by starting his own business.”
“So Rich became a baker. The Labriola Baking Company was born in 1993, with Rich, the “Chief Dough Boy”, at the helm. In 1996 Labriola started making artisan bread which has become the company’s signature line. Rich built a bakery his way. Quality and authenticity were the foundation.”
“He made starters that we unique to each bread. Rich tested hundreds of recipes before picking the ones that would bear his name. He searched far and wide for the finest ingredients. He began to age his flour. He brought in special Italian ovens. All in the name of great taste.”
“Rich built Labriola Baking Company as a $30 million company and later sold it to strategic partners. In 2008, Rich opened his first restaurant – the Labriola Bakery Café & Neapolitan Pizzeria in Oak Brook, IL. This café is highly successful and has been featured prominently in the Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, WGN-TV, and several other media outlets.”
“Rich has applied his entrepreneurial zeal to build the Doughboy Restaurant Group, which includes the Labriola Bakery Café in Oak Brook, LaBarra Ristorante locations in Oak Brook, and Labriola Chicago at 535 N. Michigan Avenue.”
“As if that is not enough to keep him busy, Rich owns and operates 16 Stan’s Donuts & Coffee locations in Chicago. Stan’s is a legendary Los Angeles Donut and coffee shop and Rich has added his artisan baker spin to create a cult following here in Chicago,” the website adds.
