Downers Grove Pizza Joint Named the Best in Illinois

It’s just one year old now, but Olive Theory Pizzeria in Downers Grove has quickly risen to fame, being named in September the best pizza joint in Illinois based on Yelp reviews.

The restaurant, located at 1400A Butterfield Rd. in Downers Grove, is celebrating its first year of business this fall after opening in 2015. The spot is renowned for its speciality pizzas and original pies.

“I built Olive Theory Pizzeria with the vision of bringing Chicagoland high-quality custom pizza and a business that would be dedicated to their community,” John Kwok, the founder of the restaurant, said in a release. “I am proud to say that, after our first year, we have helped thousands of Northern Illinois residents and are providing customers with pizza they love.”

That’s right — Olive Theory isn’t just a pizza place, but a charity. Through its “1/10 pledge,” the release states, the store donates one pizza for every 10 bought.

As a result, the community has received 2,246 free pizzas throughout the past year. It’s no wonder Kwok’s motto for his restaurant is “Eat Well and Do Good.”

The pizzeria also teams up with several local organizations to support the community, according to the release. These include the Northern Illinois Food Bank, DuPage PADS, Catholic Charities, the Downers Grove Area FISH Food Pantry, the Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“As someone who deeply values community involvement, I was thrilled to welcome a business like Olive Theory Pizzeria to Downers Grove,” Martin Tully, the village’s mayor, said. “We are so proud of the impact they have made and to have them be a staple in our community.”

Thinking of checking Olive Theory out? Here’s a small menu selection:

• Buddha’s Karma pizza: fire-roasted garlic olive oil, mozzarella, mushrooms, spinach and Parmesan
• Darwin’s Natural Selection pizza: classic red, mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, Italian beef, ham and bacon
• Hermes’ Hoagie calzone: garlic pesto, prosciutto, chicken, red onion, tomato, provolone, lettuce and garlic olive oil

Pizza pies are seasoned with the restaurant’s “Poseidon’s Blessing,” a house blend of parmesan, oregano and sea salt. If you need some more convincing (though it’s doubtful), check out the full menu here.

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Image courtesy of Olive Theory Pizzeria