Happy New Year!
2008 is the 20th Anniversary of Kenootz Pizzeria, Banquets and Catering, which first opened in Oak Forest, Illinois on November 23, 1988 and eventually moved to its current location in Midlothian.
From the time owner Ken Keeler began working in the pizza business as a young impressionable teen, he was in love with every aspect of the business and spent years daydreaming about what he would do when he opened his own pizzeria. He thrived on the opportunity to meet new people while providing them a pizza experience with a focus on consistent delivery of high quality products and services. Whether it was taking an order over the phone or greeting a customer with enthusiasm and a smile, these types of superstar qualities continues to act as the backbone of the Kenootz legacy.
With his dream in one hand and textbooks in the other, he first put himself through four years of college education as a part of his strategy to transform this vision into reality. After college, he began working diligently to pull together a solid business plan to work from.
With his ever-growing collection of inspirational ideas and visions about virtually every aspect of the pizza industry, the business strategy quickly fell into place, except for one particular element…what to name the business.
The Chicagoland pizza market is one of the most competitive pizzeria markets in the United States. Ken knew the name of the business had to be both memorable and marketable if he was to have a fair chance at longevity. For months, Ken’s family and friends brainstormed. Eventually, Ken settled on two of the most famous Italian artists in history, Leonardo Davinci and Michelangelo and chose “Leonardo Angelo’s Pizza.”
Armed with his business plan and this newly selected identity, the general feedback he received was quite positive…that is until his grandma heard about his professional identity struggle. She sternly told Ken, “Kenootz, you have put your blood, sweat, tears and life savings into your dream. You should acknowledge your success and name the pizzeria ‘Kenny’s”!” Eventually, this trail of thought led to his final decision to use this childhood nickname “Kenootz” as the business identity.
Since the first day Ken unlocked and opened the doors, Kenootz has:
- been the pizza of choice for numerous local charitable events, including the annual Oak Fest in Oak Forest and St. Christopher Fiesta in Midlothian.
- proudly sponsored numerous local youth activities and sports teams.
- shared hundreds of personal celebrations ranging from weddings to anniversaries to birthday parties all the way to family reunions and casual get- togethers between friends.
- hosted numerous corporate functions.
- been placed on thousands of private dinner tables, coffee tables, card tables, folding tables, round tables, square tables, desktops and picnic blankets while also being frequently spotted in public on paper plates while traveling from
And through the contributions of every past and present Kenootz staff member, Kenootz continues to earn the reputation each and every day that everyone gets more than great pizza at great prices when you choose Kenootz to be your chef.
You are given a moment of confidence that choosing Kenootz means you won’t miss a beat while satisfying your hunger, like having the chance to watch your favorite sports teams battle it out, listening to your children battle it out for what ingredients should go on top or just spending more quality time with your guests and/or family rather than in the kitchen pulling together food for all or washing bowls and baking sheets after everyone is done eating.
Posted by Kenootz Pizzeria, Banquets, Catering 
Posted by Kenootz Pizzeria, Banquets, Catering 
Posted by Kenootz Pizzeria, Banquets, Catering 
