Chicago-Style Tavern Pizza Heads to The Source Next

Grabowski’s, a classic pizzeria with Chicago roots, plans to open in July in the former Comida space at The Source Hotel + Market Hall.

The family-friendly spot plans to served thin-crust, 1950s tavern-style pizzas in a space filled with a mezzanine-level arcade with pinball machines and other classic arcade games.

Behind Grabowski’s, Jared Leonard — the founder of Stone Soup Collective that includes Budlong Hot Chicken in Chicago and Denver, AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q, and Au Feu — and Justin Anderson — who has Zeppelin Station, Isabel, Revival Food Hall, and Moneygun. The two originally met in Chicago before individually moving to Denver. Their pizza vision includes da Bears and da Blackhawks on the television, pitchers of beer or house-made root beer, and Chicago’s lesser-known but more popular tavern-cut pizza.

“‘Grabowski’ is a local term referring to a blue collar, no-nonsense Chicagoan; someone who is hard-working but a softie underneath the rough and tough exterior,” Leonard says in a press statement. “Originally coined by 1985 Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, the word captures all of the things I love about the ’80s and growing up in Chicago.”

Grabowski’s will offer delivery as well as a pizza window for pickup.

Comida, the Mexican taqueria at the Source, closed after more the five years on April 30.

• Mexican Taqueria Closes After Five Years at the Source [EDEN]

• All Coverage of the Source [EDEN]