Gullivers On Howard Street Listed For Sale

CHICAGO — Beloved Howard Street pizzeria Gullivers has been listed for sale nearly 54 years after its founding on Howard Street. The owner of the West Ridge spot for "world famous pizza in the pan," "American-Italian Mexican dining," and "great food, beautiful antiques" is retiring, according to a listing.

The 350-seat restaurant at 2245 Howard St. hit the market asking for just under $900,000 – not counting the Gulliver's Pizza & Pub name or its antique collection, which can be purchased under a separate agreement. It includes four lots, with an outdoor patio and a parking lot across the street.

Gullivers was founded in 1965 by the late deep dish legends Burt Katz, founder of Pequod's and Burt's Place, and Jerry Freeman, who quit his job as an insurance adjuster to run the pizzeria, according to a 2009 review. The restaurant was so successful, it eventually took over businesses on both sides, expanding to three dining rooms and an outdoor patio.

Freeman developed an acute appreciation for Victorian and Art Nouveau antiques, especially lightning figures and sconces, and created an atmosphere that resembled "a museum's attic," according to pizza connoisseur Daniel Zemens.

When Freeman died in 2006, the restaurant was sold to Chris Karageorgis, according to Block Club Chicago, which first reported the listing. The owner of the property management company listing the restaurant said Karageorgis hopes a new owner can keep Gullivers in business, although no serious offers have yet been received.

“It would be nice to keep it there and have somebody pick it up, freshen it up a bit and keep it going,” the owner of Hunter Properties told Block Club. “It’s been the most popular restaurant in the neighborhood for forever.”

The same ownership operates a Gullivers location in Oak Brook Terrace, according to staff. Gullivers' owner did not immediately respond to a query regarding whether it was also for sale.