Pizza News

Deep dish fans finally get their due with Dallas opening of Old Chicago

Deep dish at Mockingbird Station.

Courtesy photo

First Dallas gets its Italian beef sandwiches. Now it gets deep dish pizza, as a branch of Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is coming to Dallas. A Colorado-based concept specializing in Chicago-style pizzas and craft beer, Old Chicago will open at Mockingbird Station.

A spokeswoman confirmed that the new pizzeria was going into the space vacated by Mockingbird Tap Room, "maybe by the end of the year."

Dough is made fresh daily, there's a large selection of craft beer and a neighborhood friendly atmosphere.

Old Chicago was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1976, and is owned by CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc. which also owns Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom, ChopHouse and Big River. Old Chicago currently has 96 branches in 22 states, mostly across the west and southwest.

There is currently one branch in Texas: in Killeen, which opened five years ago. Dough is made fresh every day, there's a large selection of craft beer with 30 beers on tap, and the atmosphere is designed to be comfortable and neighborhoody.

This isn't Old Chicago's first stab at Dallas; five years ago, it had a branch on Belt Line Road in Addison, west of Midway in the space currently occupied by Back 9.

Old Chicago serves its made-from-scratch pizza in locations nationwide and offers two crust types that are both made in-house every day — Chicago Thick, a buttery hand-tossed cornmeal crust, served in the pan; and Tavern Thin, which has a light and crispy texture and is served square-cut.

Some of the most popular specialty pizza selections include:

Chicago 7 Pizza – Pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onions, black olives, green peppers, sliced mushrooms and house pizza sauce.
Meat Me Pizza – Four meat toppings, garnished with green olives and fresh basil.
Thai Pie – Chicken, mushrooms, red peppers, broccoli and Thai chili sauce, topped with green onions, teriyaki, sesame seeds, mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
Tuscan Chicken with Spinach – Lemon garlic sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, tomatoes and roasted garlic, topped with fresh spinach tossed in lemon vinaigrette.

This space at Mockingbird Station has not seen a lot of success for prior tenants; neither Mockingbird Tap Room nor Vapiano were able to survive. But Old Chicago has two siblings nearby, with branches of Gordon Biersch at both Park Lane and in Plano's Shops at Legacy, that should help usher in a more friendly debut. Plus it has deep-dish pizza, a food group with fervent fans.

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Pizza News

Donatos Pizza debuts in Texas with first opening in Frisco

Donatos

Donatos Pizza

An anticipated pizza chain is about to make its Dallas debut: Donatos Pizza, the franchise famous for spreading its toppings to the very edge of the crust, will open its first location in Texas at 8990 Coit Rd. in Frisco.

According to a release, it'll open on November 12.

Donatos is so into its method of distributing toppings all the way to the edge that they have registered a phrase: Edge to Edge® pizza.

Their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza such as veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. Pizzas come in a 7-inch individual and go all the way up to a 14-inch large. Prices range from $15 to $25.

Fans appreciate their better-than-average ingredients and describe it as more flavorful compared to other corporate pizza chains, with a crisp thin crust and generous toppings.

In addition to pizza, Donatos' menu includes oven-baked wings, sub sandwiches, including meatball and Italian cold cuts, plus appetizers and salads.

“Opening a Donatos Pizza location in Texas is a dream come true for us. As lifelong fans of Donatos, we’re thrilled to bring this beloved Ohio-based brand to the Frisco community,” said Casey Dennis, co-owner of Donatos Pizza Frisco. “We can’t wait for everyone to experience great pizza and join us for some fun at the grand opening on November 12th.”

Bringing Donatos to Frisco are two three natives of Ohio, all with a connection to Donatos: Dr. Rico Singleton, Casey Dennis, and Cameron Hopkins — all eager to share their long-time love of Donatos in their new home in Texas. They also share a brotherhood through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which emphasizes initiatives like Bigger and Better Business, reflecting their entrepreneurial spirit.

Singleton is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, with a background in Information Technology who has lived in Texas for 8 years. Dennis is from Columbus, has a degree in pharmacy, is lifelong friends with Singleton, and has also lived here for eight years. Hopkins is also a native of Columbus, with a background in software engineering and real estate investing and has lived here five years.

They're also opening another location in the Dallas area in Flower Mound, coming later this year.

“Bringing Donatos Pizza to Texas marks a historic milestone as we begin this exciting journey to expand the brand throughout the DFW area,” says Donatos President and CEO Kevin King. “We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Frisco community through our promise to serve the best pizza and make your day a little better.”

Donatos Pizza was founded in 1963 when Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, where the company is headquartered. At one point, Donatos was bought out by McDonald’s in 1999. By 2003, Grote bought it back.

Ther are currently 470-plus locations in 28 states. That includes 175 stores plus nearly 300 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants.

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