After a combined 50-plus years operating restaurants that include pizza on the menu, partners Carlo Abunijmeh and Joe Piccione decided it was time to try a slightly different approach.
The result is uBuild Pizza Workshop, which opened in November in Oakbrook Terrace. The twist is that with a setup not unlike a cafeteria-style line, customers tell employees exactly what they want on their personal 12-inch thin-crust pizza. Customers watch up-close as they choose from about 80 options of sauces, veggies, meat, herbs and cheese that are applied before the pizzas are placed into the oven. The menu also includes a handful of preconfigured pizzas.
“At most pizza places, you don’t see anything when your pizza is being made,” Abunijmeh said. “This is more direct and personal. We use really fresh ingredients and grow our own herbs right here. And it only takes 180 seconds for our pizzas to be ready to eat.”
The three-minute baking process is possible because the oven at uBuild Pizza Workshop cooks at 1,000 degrees, instead of the usual 450-500 degrees pizza oven.
“When you’re in a business like we are, you notice that people love pizza,” Abunijmeh said. “One thing a lot of people say, though, is that they can’t wait 20 to 25 minutes for a pizza. People especially can’t wait that long when they’re on a lunch break from work.”
Abunijmeh said he and Piccione chose their Oakbrook Terrace location because of its proximity to several businesses. Among their other restaurants is Di Nico’s in downtown La Grange.
“There’s a lot of foot traffic at lunch time,” Abunijmeh said. “There are some other eating places very close by, but we prefer to be near other eating places. People don’t want to eat the same thing every day, and there are enough people to go around for everyone.”
uBuild Pizza Workshop also offers customers the opportunity to order gear wheel pasta with a choice of sauces and other ingredients, salads with ingredients chosen by customers, and self-serve truGurt frozen yogurt, smoothies and teas. Soft drinks are included at no additional charge with pizza, pasta and salad orders. Build-your-own pizzas, pasta and salads cost $8.25.
“I’ve had pizza, yogurt and salad here, and it’s all really good and reasonably priced,” said Ricky Mena, who works nearby. “The barbecue chicken pizza is my favorite.”
Vicki Grant also works nearby and has visited uBuild Pizza Workshop several times for yogurt, pizza, salad and soup.
“It’s really convenient, the food is good, and I love the yogurt, probably a little too much,” Grant said.
UBUILD BASICS
Address: 18W046 22nd St., Oakbrook Terrace
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Telephone: 630-613-8103
Website: ubuildpizzaworkshop.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ubuildpizza