Introduction to Lynn’s Chicago Pizza
WOODLAWN — A South Side pizzeria is closing as a restaurant and shifting to catering orders about a year after opening in West Woodlawn, citing financial struggles.
Background of Lynn’s Chicago Pizza
Lynn’s Chicago Pizza, 501 E. 61st St., opened in September 2024. The restaurant offered specialty pizzas named after South Side places like Woodlawn, South Shore and Dorchester and Stony Island avenues, as well as wings, salads and pasta.
The Decision to Close
Lynn’s broke its lease early and has moved out of the 61st Street shop as of this week, co-owner Brandon Bruner Sr. said. The business will temporarily shift to catering-only as Bruner tries to make enough money to relocate the restaurant, he said.
“Lynn’s Chicago Pizza is not going anywhere, but right now we have to scale back and focus on catering and keeping our brand name alive,” Bruner said. “We’re not disappearing just because something didn’t work out, and I think catering is a good platform.”
Reasons for Financial Struggles
Bruner “came to the realization last week” that the pizzeria could not survive in its initial storefront as costs piled up, he said.
The flow of customers into the shop was too low to be sustainable, and Bruner wanted to pull the plug before debts spiraled out of control, he said.
“Last week, I had $100 in my pocket and did not have enough to get cheese and all the things to really open the restaurant,” Bruner said. “Every week, there was not enough money to really succeed.”
Future Plans for Lynn’s Chicago Pizza
Lynn’s plans to operate its catering arm out of a South Side commercial kitchen in the coming months, offering the same pizzas from its time in the Woodlawn storefront.
Bruner will also sell baked lasagnas through the holiday season, and he plans to launch a Lynn’s Pasta Company offshoot for pasta meal kits on Dec. 1, he said.
Lynn’s will also hold pop-ups at pizzerias “in a few cities I have connections in,” as was the case at Varasano’s Pizzeria in Atlanta in September.
The catering and pasta businesses can be a way to maintain income “without a whole restaurant overhead,” Bruner said.
A “Dorchester” thin crust pizza and “South Shore” deep dish pizza at Lynn’s Chicago Pizza, 501 E. 61st St., in Woodlawn on Sept. 12, 2024. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Customers can email info@lynnschipizza.com to place a catering order or call Bruner at 312-532-9366 to inquire about holiday lasagnas and pasta kits.
History of Lynn’s Chicago Pizza
Lynn’s Chicago Pizza began with a dinner date in January 2023, said Aja Lynn Humphreys, the restaurant’s namesake and co-owner. Humphreys, a South Shore native, and Bruner, who grew up in Woodlawn, are partners who live less than a mile from the former pizzeria location.
The duo formed Lynn’s as a business in May 2023 and spent several months as a ghost kitchen before selling pizzas out of Lux Resto Café in suburban Hazel Crest.
The possibility of a Woodlawn location came after Lynn’s held a pop-up with Sunshine Enterprises, said Humphreys, who participated in Sunshine’s Community Business Academy in spring 2024. The pizzeria moved into its 61st Street shop that fall.
Future Location Plans
Bruner was banking on a boost in customers when the Obama Presidential Center opens early next year, though the business ultimately couldn’t hold on that long, he said.
“61st is just not ready right now,” Bruner said. “We wanted to be one of the few pioneers, but it was just really tough.”
If the business can recover, Bruner hopes to move Lynn’s to a storefront on 75th Street in Chatham, he said.
The area is experiencing “a revitalization of a nice restaurant district for the South Side,” with longtime staples like Brown Sugar Bakery and Lem’s BBQ coexisting alongside newcomers like Park Manor 75, Bruner said.
“Hopefully, with Lynn’s Pasta and our pizza catering, we can get the funds we need and get open again as a real classic pizzeria — just a couple tables, selling slices in the window,” he said. “Something classic, simple and smaller, while being in a more of a destination place like 75th.”
Conclusion
Lynn’s Chicago Pizza may have closed its doors as a restaurant, but it will continue to operate through catering and other ventures. The business is determined to stay afloat and potentially reopen in a new location in the future.
FAQs
- Q: Why did Lynn’s Chicago Pizza close?
A: Lynn’s Chicago Pizza closed due to financial struggles, citing low customer flow and high costs. - Q: Will Lynn’s Chicago Pizza still be operating?
A: Yes, Lynn’s Chicago Pizza will continue to operate through catering and other ventures, such as selling baked lasagnas and pasta meal kits. - Q: What are the future plans for Lynn’s Chicago Pizza?
A: The business hopes to recover and potentially reopen in a new location, possibly on 75th Street in Chatham.
