Lou Malnati's Opens 70th Restaurant in St. Charles, Illinois, With About 100 Staff

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria opened its 70th restaurant on October 27, 2026, at 3050 E. Main St. in St. Charles, Illinois. The 6,200-square-foot location employs approximately 100 team members. Yahoo published the report.

Inside the St. Charles Restaurant

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is a family-owned Chicago deep dish pizza chain founded in 1971, operating 70+ locations across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Arizona with nationwide frozen pizza shipping, catering, and a loyalty rewards program, according to company records. The St. Charles restaurant has a full-service dining room and bar, a private dining room, carryout, delivery and catering.

"We're excited to officially open our doors in St. Charles and welcome guests to experience everything Lou Malnati's has to offer," said Julie Younglove-Webb, CEO of Lou Malnati's. "For more than 55 years, we've been bringing people together over our handmade deep dish and we look forward to serving this community for years to come."

The menu includes Chicago-style deep dish pizza made with a flaky buttercrust, Wisconsin mozzarella cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce, along with thin crust pizza, appetizers, salads, pastas, desserts and gluten-free options. The restaurant sits near the northeast corner of Kirk Road and East Main Street.

First Look at the Refreshed Brand Design

The St. Charles restaurant is the first Lou Malnati's location to showcase elements of the company's refreshed brand experience. Updated design features appear alongside local touches incorporated in partnership with the St. Charles History Museum, including historic photographs and artwork celebrating the Malnati's family legacy and Chicagoland roots. The company's own announcement directs readers to loumalnatis.com for more information.

St. Charles in the Company's Records

Company records show a signed lease for a 6,200 sq ft, roughly 200-seat restaurant in St. Charles, Illinois, within the Fox Haven Square development, with an expected opening in the fall, according to akta.pro company records. The same records list the location as the chain's 61st Chicago-area site and count 70 locations across Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Arizona as of May 2026.

Earlier Steps Toward the Opening

In May 2026, Lou Malnati's said it would close its Gold Coast location on June 30 after its lease expired, operating a ghost kitchen for delivery while seeking a new spot, with a new Gold Coast location expected by summer 2027, American City Business Journals reported. In July 2026, PR Newswire reported the nationwide shipping launch of the limited-time Italian Combo Beef-Za pizza, developed with Food Network personality and chef Jeff Mauro. In September 2026, Yahoo reported that Lou Malnati's received GFCO certification for its frozen gluten-free Cheese, Pepperoni, and Sausage pizzas, available for nationwide shipping through TastesofChicago.com.