Chicago's enduring love affair with pizza takes a fresh turn as Candlelite, the iconic Rogers Park tavern-style pizzeria, sets to broaden its horizons. Known for its signature thin-crust pizzas cut into squares—a far cry from the deep-dish rendition many outsiders associate with the Windy City—Candlelite readies to charm a new neighborhood. Later this month, according to Eater Chicago, the 74-year-old establishment will nestle into Lincoln Park, inside the revered iO Theater at 1501 N. Kingsbury Street.
Striving to seamlessly blend into their new setting, Candlelite is embracing an opportunity to combine two beloved Chicago experiences: comedy and cuisine. Pat Fowler, who took the helm of the pizzeria in 2012, expressed his excitement to Eater Chicago: "It’s like having two businesses in one building — two iconic Chicago businessesThis expansion comes at a time when Candlelite has sternly stood by its tavern-style roots, despite a tidal wave of debate over the authenticity of "tavern-style pizza," which has erupted amongst pizza purists and been further fanned by national attention.
The new space promises to be a haven for sports enthusiasts and theatergoers alike, with a sports-friendly bar, an intimate dining room reminiscent of the original, and spacious patios. Candlelite's presence at the iO Theater aims to offer patrons a slice of nostalgia, one square piece at a time, during shows. Fowler, a former delivery man turned owner, also hinted at a potential collaboration with Off Color Brewing, whose taproom is conveniently located across the street, and a taste of Candlelite's neon sign heritage with cocktails that nod to their renowned sign, Fowler revealed in a statement to Eater Chicago.
While Candlelite's origin is wrapped in a certain level of mystique, its 70-plus-year story began with an Italian immigrant's simple aspiration to serve good pizza in Rogers Park. As a nod to its past, Candlelite has maintained its community-centric ethos, regularly displaying neighborhood personal milestones on its iconic marquee for free. Fowler told Time Out Chicago, "For a lot of people, Candlelite is in their heart. Sure, they enjoy the food, but there’s some emotion attached to the place. We do a lot of post-funeral events because Candlelite is where [the deceased] loved to go" With an eye firmly fixed on creating similar bonds in Lincoln Park, even if it means courting a friendly rivalry with DePaul University, Candlelite stands as a testament to the enduring affection for tavern-style pizza in the heart of Chicago.
In a city where pizza debates are a contact sport, Candlelite's grasp on tradition while still boldly innovating amidst culinary and cultural shifts, remains as crucial to its identity as the crispy, cracker-thin crusts that have nourished generations of Chicagoans. Expansion usually brings with it change, but for Candlelite, it appears this move will only serve to spread the tavern-style gospel further across the city's stomach.
