Pie Hole Pizza Joint

Our 'Hole is Open: Sunday-Thursday 11am-Midnight | Friday-Saturday 11am-3am | Delivery 5pm-Midnight

Pie Hole Pizza Joint | 3477 N Broadway Chicago IL 60657 | 773-525-8888 |

 

Muse beta by Adobe

All About Pie Hole

All About Pie Hole

All About Pie Hole

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Employment Application

Employment Application

Employment Application

Map and Directions

Map and Directions

Map and Directions

﷯The Birth Pie Hole was originally run out of the back of the original owners' restaurant -- truly a hole in the wall. It was pretty much delivery only, and it definitely took a back seat to the restaurant up front. That restaurant up front was Bone Daddy, a BBQ spot conceived and executed by the Einhorn brothers -- famed for their off-kilter restaurants showcasing a creative blend of visual elements and culinary extremes. Mitch and Cliff Einhorn currently own the original Twisted Spoke pub and grub, as well as Lush, a boutique wine shop. The pizza business was steadily growing, so the Einhorns decided to take advantage of a vacant space on Halsted and Roscoe in Boystown, near their second installment of Twisted Spoke on Roscoe and Clark. That space was on a side street, but in the epicenter of Boystown nightlife. And it was already outfitted with pizza-making gear. It was at 737 W Roscoe where Pie Hole became its own entity. For several years, it piggy-backed off Twisted Spoke, it's big brother up the road. Sales were steady, marketing and decoration were budget, but quality and culture were already part of the game. Eventually the Einhorns began growing tired of their bastard stepchild. Pie Hole was quickly taking a back seat to Twisted Spoke, and, moreso, Lush. The brothers decided to put Pie Hole up for sale.
How Pie Hole looked when the Einhorns sold in 2007.
How Pie Hole looked when the Einhorns sold in 2007.
How Pie Hole looked when the Einhorns sold in 2007.
Outside the original Pie Hole at 737 W Roscoe.
Inside the original Pie Hole, circa 2006.
The back end of the original Pie Hole, circa 2006.

1 of 6

<

>

﷯Our Adoption In 2006, a young entrepreneur working in the drudgery of corporate sales was longing to get back into small business. Doug Brandt had always wanted to have a cool, funky, Bohemian coffee shop where he and his friends could hang out and host intimate, underground gatherings. One day in the sales office, a fellow "suit" introduced Doug to a business brokerage website, and within a week he had discovered "something close enough" to what he was looking for. That "something" was Pie Hole at 737 W Roscoe that the Einhorns had posted for sale. After nearly 9 months of negotiation, due diligence, endless legal drafts of the purchase agreement and impatience by everyone involved, Pie Hole was finally signed over to Doug Brandt on February 18, 2007. (In Doug's mind, Pie Hole is therefore an Aquarius.) Much work was to be done, and it began immediately. The 'Hole needed a good cleaning, to say the least. New equipment and fixtures were purchased, a fresh coat of paint was applied, and staffing issues were resolved -- all the while, Doug had to learn how to make a pizza. With a name like "Pie Hole," marketing was a breeze. While updating the logo and brainstorming ideas for taglines, it quickly became clear that Doug could take advantage of the double entendre inherent in the restaurant's name. At that point, an aggressive, sexually charged advertising campaign began to help position Pie Hole as part of the "Boystown Routine." Pie Hole soon became the go-to place to sober up after the 2am bars closed, but before heading on to the 4am bars. "Boystown's Favorite Restaurant," a title awarded in 2007 by the now defunct Chicago Free Press, was also known affectionately as the place for "the best 10 inches at 2am."
Proof of how grimey things were.
The old kitchen as it appeared when first purchased.
After a few cosmetic modifications, the 'Hole started to shape up.
Early Pie Hole print ad.
Early Pie Hole print ad.
Early Pie Hole print ad.
Early Pie Hole print ad.
Early Pie Hole print ad.

1 of 8

<

>

﷯Our 'Hole March 31, 2010 marked the end of an era. It was this day when the lease for 737 W Roscoe expired -- a lease which did not offer the option to renew. Pie Hole's neighbor, Cocktail, had the right of first refusal. Doug's experience of looking for a new home turned out to be somewhat disheartening. He found many potential landlords and condo associations simply didn't want a restaurant, for fear of "odor and vermin." Several other potential locations didn't work out because they were either too big or too expensive or too this or too that. When all was looking bleak, a little birdy approached Doug and whispered in his ear. Cher, a Chicago performer and female impersonator, let Doug know about a space on Broadway that would be perfect for Pie Hole, and the landlord was interested in talking to him. Things clicked. At a rapid pace, construction began and was halfway complete before a final lease was even signed. 3477 N Broadway, previously home to a currency exchange, was shaping up to be the new 'Hole. Doug spent a lot of time designing every aspect of the space. His priority was to have the kitchen open and visible to everyone, a literal incarnation of his commitment to transparency. He also positioned the kitchen upfront, so employees could great customers right when they entered the door. The back was to be reserved for seating and performance space, both of which were soon edged out as the needs for production space grew. Pie Hole continues to evolve. The restaurant business is a 24-hour-a-day learning experience, and there are no signs of anything slowing down.
Ivory helps install shelving in the Scullery.
Eson installs the washroom door.
Ryan and Evan take down the currency exchange awning.
Opening team members signed the window before launch.
Doug helps Ryan install the old signs at the new location.
Things were beginning to shape up at the new location!

1 of 6

<

>

﷯Our Philosophy This page is a WORK IN PROGRESS... Fresh, high quality ingredients. Irreverant yet friendly spin on customer service. Unique experience. Human Service, mutual understanding and appreciation. If each person in a group of ten serves all other nine, then each person will have nine servants. Transparency Mutual understanding Our mission is to be transparent and open. It is our philosophy to share and to learn. We willingly publish our successes, and we vent our frustrations and challenges. We don't hide our faults, we don't delete comments, and we don't profess to be perfect. We don't discriminate, and we don't do anything to stifle communication. We encourage learning and understanding. And we don't sit back and take it up the ass. We find any businesses that humanize their experiences to be refreshing. And any business that lives behind rose-colored glasses... Well, be weary of them and their intentions.
﷯Our Hopes This page is a WORK IN PROGRESS... In 2007, Doug decided he personally wanted to get involved in the community. The Center on Halsted had recently opened, and many new programs and opportunites were becoming available to anyone interested in volunteering. Doug signed up! At the time, volunteers were needed for a youth mentoring program, so, as a new business owner, Doug liked the idea of a Halsted merchant being a mentor for youth at risk. He met his mentee, and once a week for two months they met and discussed how to get where you want to be. This opportunity also gave Doug a chance to promote Pie Hole as a business on Halsted that, fundamentally and by design, did not discriminate or judge. Anyone who wanted to come and enjoy pizza in a cool, open environment, was welcome.
Marlon and Deontae from YPS help clean the windows.
Deontae, Marlon and Jay from YPS make their own pizzas.
Davi performs karaoke at the new location.

2 of 3

<

>

﷯Our Owner Doug Brandt grew up in Davenport, Iowa, in an entrepreneurial family. His father had started a printing company the year before Doug was born, and so grew up quite literally in a production environment. After high school, Doug attended Iowa State University. It took him seven years and four summer schools to eventually graduate with a degree in exactly what he went in to study: Marketing, with minors in Advertising and Spanish. From there he moved to Atlanta to work for Kinko's, where he helped to develop and design "diet-sized" Kinko's business center prototypes in larger hotels and convention centers nationwide. He also worked in Human Resources, where he and his two teammates oversaw the training and development of managers and coworkers across 18 Kinko's locations in the Atlanta area. And then 9/11 hit, forcing companies all across America to tighten their belts. Kinko's was not immune, and the company decided to trim where most companies decide to trim first: human resources. Doug was laid off, but decided this was an opportunity to move back up north to be closer to his family in Iowa -- but not too close where family could just drop in at any time without advance notice. Chicago it was. Doug moved to the Windy City in early 2002. He spent nine months working as a manager at Caribou, receiving accolades from the Director of Operations for his work in turning two interim locations around. He also won praise for selling a weeklong catering event to a nearby banking center for their employee appreciation week. Sadly, his final, permanent assignment didn't turn out to be a good "fit" between him and his new, highly tenured staff. Doug was fired for insubordination. By this time, Doug wondered if maybe Corporate America was where he should be. He took a flashy job downtown at a data marketing company, initially training clients on software that access marketing and demographic data, and ultimately selling that software and data to newspapers and magazines throughout the midwest. Sound boring? It was. He missed the small business environment, and although this job paid The Big Bucks, flew him all over the country, and provided him with a bus commute where he could do a daily Sudoku puzzle, Doug was ready to get back to his roots.
﷯Soul at the 'Hole This page is a WORK IN PROGRESS... Early on, Doug wanted to have a cool vibe and free atmosphere, conducive to spontaneous and soul-searching performances.
Early Pie Hole print ad.

2 of 2

<

>