OP_100616

opprairie.com Dining Out
the orland park prairie | October 6, 2016 | 31
The Dish
MOD Pizza finds way to make chain feel local in Orland Park
Bill Jones, Editor
The Wall of Fame inside MOD Pizza in Orland Park features
images of everything from school logos to area customers
to the company’s staff.
When MOD Pizza first
opened its doors in 2008
in downtown Seattle, its
fresh concept was then a
novel idea: Take the already
infinitely modifiable
delicacy that is pizza, apply
Chipotle-esque fast casual
counter service and toss in
an 800-degree oven for rapidly-served,
ever-creative
tastes in a family-friendly
environment.
And it worked. The chain
has continued to grow — it
is on track to hit 200 stores
by the end of the year —
since first permeating the
Chicago market with North
Shore and Western suburban
locations.
But by the time MOD
Pizza arrived in Orland
Park with No. 156 this past
month, it found a market already
introduced to similar
— if not quite exact — concepts
in the likes of Wooden
Paddle Pizza and Pronto
Pizza Kitchen, one of which
literally resides just across
the street. And both boast
the hometown advantage of
being Orland Park-first restaurants.
So how does a chain like
MOD Pizza compete?
To start, it makes sure it
looks a lot more local than
the usual franchise.
“It’s very localized,” said
Peter Nielsen, MOD’s Chicago
district manager. “The
community knows we’re
here, and we know they’re
here.”
That recognition hits
customers the second they
walk through MOD’s doors,
where they are greeted by
large, three-dimensional
block letters spelling “Orland
Park” across the wall,
leading up to the counter.
Across the way is an entire
wall featuring images of
area school logos and local
sites, as well as Illinois
customers and MOD Squad
(staff) members.
“It’s near and dear to my
heart,” Nielsen said of what
is dubbed the Wall of Fame.
“We don’t have any pictures
of food up on the walls. We
celebrate our people.”
That is the other key ingredient
to MOD’s success.
It touts itself as a people-first
company. It sells some beer
and wine (two drafts, four
bottles, two wines in Orland
Park) along with its pizzas,
but it is first and foremost a
family spot. It plays trendy
music, but keeps it low to
remain “inviting.”
“We want people to have
conversations,” Nielsen explained.
“We want people to
talk. We want to be a family
atmosphere.”
But rather than seeking
conformity from its staff to
achieve that goal — Nielsen
said he asks that employees
try to treat every customer
as they would their grandparents
— it welcomes individuality.
“They’re all MOD in the
sense that they have personalities,”
Nielsen said. “And
MOD Pizza
15139 S. LaGrange
Road in Orland Park
Hours
• 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
• 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday
• 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday
For more information ...
Web: modpizza.com
Phone: (708) 737-7359
they’re not afraid to show
them.”
The restaurant took another
step toward endearing
itself to the community
upon its opening Sept. 23.
The chain partners with
local causes for its grand
openings, and in Orland
Park The Bridge Teen Center
was the beneficiary of
nearly $1,600 in pizza sales
during MOD’s grand opening
event.
At its core, however,
MOD is a pizza place, and
to succeed it must deliver on
that front. MOD’s proven
approach is that of a menu
that is deceptively simple
The Dillon James — also known as the No. 7 — features red sauce, garlic, fresh chopped
basil, mozzarella, tomatoes and Asiago. It is one of the classic pies at the MOD Pizza chain,
which recently opened its first southwest suburban Chicago location in Orland Park.
Photos by Bill Jones/22nd Century Media
while offering a wealth of
options.
At the core of that menu
are pizzas and salads, both
of which pull from the same
collection of roughly 50
ingredients, from typical
items like red sauce, pepperoni
and green peppers
to more diverse options that
include a garlic rub, dairyfree
cheese, garbanzo beans
and a balsamic fig glaze,
with plenty in between.
Diners can choose from the
nine classic pizzas — most
with names somehow tied
to members of the company
— and three salads, or start
completely from scratch.
Beyond that, customers
are simply tasked with
picking a size for the pizza.
Minis run $4.87, MODs
$7.87 and megas $10.87.
Salads cost $9.87. Beyond
that, the toppings are “unlimited.”
So while a classic
like the Dillon James —
featuring red sauce, garlic,
fresh chopped basil, mozzarella,
tomatoes and Asiago
— might hit the spot on its
own for some, customers
with diverging tastes are
welcome to tweak the formula
at no extra charge.
The restaurant says it
is nut free. It also offers
a gluten-free crust. And
for vegan guests, both the
dough and red sauce already
are vegan, and MOD offers
vegan mozzarella to boot.
Its open view of the ingredients
and oven also make it
easy to see how everything
is put together.
“No secrets here,”
Nielsen said. “We’re just
trying to make good food.”
Beyond those core offerings,
the menu features
garlic and cinnamon strips
(with dip options) for $2.97
apiece, MODshakes, fountain
drinks and floats. But
the menu essentially stops
there, and that is by design.
“We just want to keep it
simple,” Nielsen said. “We
like the idea that people can
just come in and make a
pizza.”
As simple and yet openended
as that concept is the
restaurant’s name. Does
it stand for “Made on Demand”?
Modifications? A
nod to the 1960s British
subculture fashion? All of
the above?
When asked, Nielsen
plays coy regarding the answer.
“People can make MOD
whatever they want,” he
said. “That’s really what it’s
about ... allow [customers]
to be themselves, show their
personalities. That’s what
we’re about.
“It’s just pizza. It’s fun.
It’s fast. It’s a good time.”