Lou Malnati's closes one Valley restaurant, opens another

When one door closes, another opens. At least, that's the case for Lou Malnati's Phoenix pizzerias.

October 29, 2024

Image: Chicago deep dish has landed at Village at Prasada, but is no longer available in Gilbert.

Chicago deep dish has landed at Village at Prasada, but is no longer available in Gilbert. Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

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Pizzeria chain Lou Malnati's has had a busy few weeks in the Valley, as one location closed and another celebrated its grand opening.

Lou Malnati's was started in Chicago in 1971 and is known for its deep dish pizzas, piled with tomato sauce, cheese and served on a flaky butter crust. The chain has over 80 locations nationwide with restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Arizona.

In the Valley, eight restaurants are spread throughout the metro area and the recent shuffle keeps that number the same.

A Gilbert location of the chain, situated on the northeast corner of Val Vista Drive and Pecos Road, has closed. It served the East Valley community for just under three years. For customers who live nearby, the next closest locations are on Alma School Road in Chandler and on Baseline Road in Mesa.

But, on the heels of that closing news, the chain has something to celebrate. A new location of the pizzeria opened in Surprise on Oct. 25.

“We’re excited to continue our tradition of serving legendary deep dish pizza with top-notch quality and hospitality while bringing our family’s legacy to Surprise,“ Marc Malnati, the company's owner, said in a news release.

The new 6,650-square-foot restaurant includes a dining room and bar plus a private dining area and a dog-friendly patio. The restaurant is the latest addition to the Village at Prasada on the southeast corner of State Route 303 and Waddell Road.

Lou Malnati's Suprise

13382 N. Prasada Pkwy., Surprise

Tirion Boan is the Food Editor of Phoenix New Times where she’s worked since May 2022. Tirion keeps a close eye on restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on metro Phoenix food news and trends. She also publishes major annual lists like Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the Best of Phoenix project. Tirion previously worked for publications including The Arizona Republic and The Tucson Weekly. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from the University of Arizona.

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