MOVE OVER, DEEP DISH: CHICAGO'S ORIGINAL ICONIC PIZZA GETS ITS OWN NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Home Run Inn invites pizza lovers everywhere to celebrate National Tavern-Style Pizza Day on October 22

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Chicago may be famous for its deep-dish pizza, but locals know there's another hometown favorite worth celebrating. On October 22, Home Run Inn Pizza is inviting pizza lovers across the country to raise a slice (or square) in honor of National Tavern-Style Pizza Day, a holiday created by the iconic Chicago pizza brand to celebrate the city's beloved thin-crust tradition.

With roots dating back to 1923, Home Run Inn Pizza has been part of Chicago's pizza legacy for more than a century. What began as a neighborhood tavern has grown into a fourth-generation family-owned pizza brand known for its signature crispy crust, serving generations of pizza lovers through its six Chicago-area restaurants and its line of frozen pizzas available in grocery stores nationwide.

Tavern-style pizza is a Chicago original known for its thin, crispy crust, zesty sauce and generous toppings, all cut into small, shareable squares instead of traditional triangular slices. The tradition began in the 1940s when the Home Run Inn Pizza family created the pizza as a bar snack to serve alongside cold drinks. The bite-sized squares made it easy to enjoy a piece with one hand and hold a beer in the other. By the 1950s, Home Run Inn Pizza began par-baking and freezing those same pizzas for customers and local grocery stores, laying the foundation for a frozen pizza business that now reaches consumers nationwide.

“Tavern-style pizza is having a real moment right now,” said Dan Costello, CEO of Home Run Inn. “It's exciting to see the rest of the country discovering something Chicagoans have loved for generations.”

The enthusiasm for tavern-style pizza is spreading. The growing attention comes as thin-crust pizza continues to appeal to consumers nationwide. According to 2025 research from the American Bakers Association, 49% of consumers prefer thin-crust pizza, suggesting plenty of appetite for Chicago's crispy, square-cut favorite.

As an added bonus for National Tavern-Style Pizza Day, Home Run Inn Pizza taverns in Chicago will be running special promotions from October 22 through October 25. Promotions include 5x loyalty points, special discounts and merch, and a special four-stop Home Run Inn food truck tour. Details will be available on Home Run Inn’s Facebook page and other social channels.

About Home Run Inn Pizza

Founded in 1923 as a small tavern on Chicago’s South Side, Home Run Inn is a family-owned pizza company known for its signature tavern-style pizza and commitment to quality ingredients. Today, Home Run Inn operates six pizzerias throughout Chicagoland and offers its frozen pizzas in grocery stores nationwide. The company’s frozen pizza business began in the late 1950s, when the family started par-baking and freezing its pizzas for local grocery stores, bringing the same recipes and traditions from its restaurants to consumers at home. For more information about Home Run Inn, its restaurants and frozen pizzas, visit www.HomeRunInnPizza.com.

Jeff Dillow
quench
+1 978-460-0555
jdillow@quenchagency.com
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