Rosati’s Pizza is celebrating its 60th anniversary by giving away a 1964 Chevy Impala. The car will tour Rosati’s locations nationwide for the next two months, holding events with giveaways and specials along the route.
Courtesy of Rosati’s Pizza
Rosati’s Pizza is cruising into its 60th year in style.
What started as a family pizza shop on Algonquin and Busse Roads in Mount Prospect in 1964 has grown into a national chain that will commemorate six decades in business with a two-month celebration culminating in the giveaway of a Rosati’s branded ’64 Chevy Impala.
Jeff Rosati, the company’s CFO, is part of the second generation of owners of the pizza shop that started with his dad and uncles, even though the family’s history with restaurants goes back generations earlier.
“It’s kind of crazy because there was no grand plan,” Jeff said. “It was your typical Italian family that said, ‘I know how to cook. I’m going to open a pizza place and put my name on it.’”
Rosati’s Pizza is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Four Rosati brothers (Al, left, Dick, top center, Ron, right and Fred Rosati) started the pizza chain in 1964.
Courtesy of Rosati’s Pizza
Jeff’s grandfather, Sam, had the family’s first Illinois restaurant, which he opened in Chicago in 1927. Sam’s sons opened the first Rosati’s Pizza in Mount Prospect in 1964 and followed that up with another in Niles soon after.
Rick Rosati, Jeff’s brother, was the first of their kids to join in, opening a store in Arlington Heights in 1970.
“That was the transition from more of a mom-and-pop pizza place to more of a generational family business,” Jeff said.
All three original restaurants are still operating. However, they’ve moved to larger locations.
Once Rick Rosati opened in Arlington Heights, all his brothers and cousins wanted to join in. Soon, there were locations in Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates and several other suburbs.
Jeff Rosati said the size of the family spurred the business expansion.
The first Rosati’s Pizza opened in Mount Prospect in 1964. The chain has grown to having 225 locations nationwide.
Courtesy of Rosati’s Pizza
“My dad was one of 10 kids, and I’m one of seven, plus all the cousins, so we have an army already,” Rosati said. “The business really grew because of the sheer volume of family members.”
The first location outside Illinois opened in Plano, Texas, in the early 1980s. By the end of that decade, the company opened a dozen franchises in Arizona — its second-largest market after the Chicago region.
Fred Rosati co-founded the Rosati’s Pizza company in the 1970s, expanding a suburban family business to what now is a nationwide franchise with 225 locations.
Courtesy of Rosati’s Pizza
Rosati’s now has 225 restaurants in a dozen states. About 35 still are owned by the family.
Jeff Rosati said it’s hard to keep track but estimates there are about 40 members of the family who are involved in the ownership part of the business. That doesn’t count the myriad family members and kids who work in the restaurants.
To celebrate the milestone, Rosati’s will offer one-day-only specials starting in September and running through October. About once a week, the restaurant will announce the special on its social media accounts. Plans include a day with 1964 pricing — 64-cent cheesy breadsticks, 64-cent pizza slices and more.
“The 1964 pricing is a cool one,” Rosati said. “We’ve got a menu from back then and a large, two-topping pizza was $3.50, so we’re going to have that special.”
Rosati’s will hold events across the country over the next couple of months celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Courtesy of Rosati’s Pizza
The red ’64 Impala is the focal point of the anniversary.
“The car is really sharp. People are loving it,” Rosati said.
The Impala is mostly in original condition and has the same engine and transmission that rolled off the factory floor. The four-speed manual transmission has proved a challenge, limiting the candidates who can drive it from location to location.
“We tried to get some of the people who work for us, but they’re all 30 years old or younger, and nobody knows how to drive a stick,” he said.
The car will make stops at Rosati’s across the country and at each stop will be the centerpiece of a celebration that will include free pizza slices, Coca-Cola and exclusive 60th anniversary merchandise.
“It’s almost like a rock concert tour,” Rosati said. “We’ve got tour dates and cool swag and shirts to give away that look like concert shirts. It’s going to be an event at each stop.”
The tour started Tuesday in Madison and made other stops in Wisconsin before arriving in Carol Stream Friday. The car will make the rounds of suburban locations for about a week before heading to other parts of Illinois, then onward to Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, and, ultimately, Las Vegas, where it will be given away to a lucky winner.
You can enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win the Rosati’s Impala on the chain’s website; no purchase is necessary.