Dave Howey

The history of Nancy’s Pizza dates back to 1971 when Italian immigrants, Nancy and Rocco Palese, opened their first pizza parlor, Guy’s Pizza, in Chicago. They were known for their thin crust pizza, but as business fluctuated, the Rocco and Nancy began experimenting. Rather than imitate, Rocco modeled his new pizza creation after a family recipe for ‘scarciedda,’ an Easter specialty cake made by his mother. The end result was the first stuffed pizza in America, which is now a staple in the pizza industry. The invention and success of the stuffed pizza led to the opening of Rocco’s new restaurant in 1974, Nancy’s Pizza in Harwood Heights, IL. This was the first of many Nancy’s Pizza locations. Over the years, Nancy’s has been recognized as a pizza icon and received accolades from industry influencers and media, including: -Chicago Magazine “Best Stuffed Pizza” and “The Best Pizza in Chicago” -Chicago Tribune “1st Place Best Pizza To Go” and “Best Fettucine Alfredo in Chicago” -Pizza Magazine “America’s Top Pizza Chains” -Pizza Magazine “Top 100 Pizza Companies in America” -Pizza Today “Three Top Stuffed Pizzas” -ABC-TV Chicago “#1 Pizza” -Best of Atlanta “Best Pizza” -Virgin Atlantic Names Nancy's the "Best Chicago-Style Pizza in the Windy City"​ and "A Chicago Classic & it's Stuffed Pizza is Legendary"​