Write an article about A Pizza Pie Opens In Uptown From Owner Of Award-Winning Ragadan Restaurant .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from
UPTOWN — A neighborhood pizza place has opened on Broadway from the owners of one of Uptown’s favorite burger joints.
A Pizza Pie opened Tuesday at 4449 N. Broadway, offering medium-thick crust pizzas by the pie and slice.
Owner Danny Sweis aims for A Pizza Pie to be the go-to option for family pizza nights, school events and community gatherings.
“We’re not looking to shoot for the moon or get on ‘best of’ lists. We just want to be the option for people that are like, ‘I got my kid’s birthday party, I need 10 pizzas, I don’t want to pay a thousand dollars for it,’” Sweis said. “Pizza night used to be the cheap family option, where you get a couple of pizzas for under $40. Those days are long gone. We’re trying to fill that lane.”
Sweis would know a thing or two about “best of” lists, however.
The Hawaiian pizza at A Pizza Pie. Credit: Provided
A Pizza Pie is open on the same Broadway block as sister restaurant Ragadan. Credit: Reema Saleh/Block Club Chicago
A Pizza Pie is Sweis’ second restaurant after opening Ragadan in 2022.
Ragadan, 4409 N. Broadway, is where Middle Eastern and American Midwest cuisines meet. Combining flavors from his hometown of Oklahoma City and his parents’ home in Amman, Jordan, the small counter-service restaurant offers kefta kabobs, falafel and baklava milkshakes alongside caramelized onion burgers and fries.
Ragadan, which Sweis runs with his wife, Maria, opened to widespread critical acclaim. Earlier this year, the restaurant took home a Jean Banchet Award for best counter service.
After a 20-year career running kitchens, Sweis’ original plan was to open a pizza place, until he got sidetracked by the pandemic. While he was cooped up inside, cooking falafel all day, the idea for Ragadan took hold.
But pizza has always been in his roots, in part from his parents immigrating to the United States to run a diner, he said.
“Growing up in Oklahoma, my mother’s side of the family did pizza, so they’ve always been in my background,” he said. “My father’s side was Arabic food, so here I am today — Arabic food on one end and a pizza place on the other end.”
Danny Sweis, owner of Ragadan, has opened A Pizza Pie at 4449 N. Broadway. Credit: Reema Saleh/Block Club Chicago; Provided
A Pizza Pie replaced Miso Asian Kitchen’s on the block, which closed in January. Sweis now splits his time between A Pizza Pie and Ragadan.
The shop offers a stripped-down menu of nine signature pizzas and a create-your-own pizza option on a 16-inch classic crust or 14-inch gluten-free crust. All of its signature pies are priced under $20.
“We use good quality ingredients, [like] Stanislaus tomatoes, Grande mozzarella. We make the crust ourselves. But we’re just trying to get that to customers for under $20,” he said.
A Pizza Pie also sell wings and salads. Thin-crust pizzas and desserts are on their way, Sweis said.
The shop is mostly a take-out operation, with a few tables. It offers delivery through Uber and DoorDash.
Word of mouth on A Pizza Pie is spreading, similar to what happened at Ragadan, general manager Angel Garcia said.
“It’s picking up every day,” Garcia said. “A lot of people didn’t know us, but different neighbors have tried us, and said [they’re] definitely coming back. Everybody says it’s great.”
A Pizza Pie is open 1-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
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