Pizza Extreme: Difference between revisions

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Add the 2010–2014 years from the newspaper research recorded in the database; earlier text kept
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In January 2000 Meyer was one of the two heads of the group of investors that bought the seven company-owned Pizza Pit stores in Madison<ref name="wsj-2000-01-29-p39">Gribble, R. A. (2000, January 29). "3 Pizza Pit stores to reopen." ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 39. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/400919775/ 400919775].</ref>. By late March one of them, at [[5706 Raymond Road|5706 Raymond Rd.]], was advertised as Pizza Extreme's "new westside location"<ref name="wsj-2000-03-26-p95">(2000, March 26). Pizza Extreme and Pizza Pit help-wanted advertisements. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 95. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/407212072/ 407212072].</ref>. In 2009 that restaurant, in the Meadowood Shopping Center, was the chain's main dine-in restaurant and was "both a Pizza Pit and a Pizza Extreme", serving pizzas from both menus<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />.
In January 2000 Meyer was one of the two heads of the group of investors that bought the seven company-owned Pizza Pit stores in Madison<ref name="wsj-2000-01-29-p39">Gribble, R. A. (2000, January 29). "3 Pizza Pit stores to reopen." ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 39. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/400919775/ 400919775].</ref>. By late March one of them, at [[5706 Raymond Road|5706 Raymond Rd.]], was advertised as Pizza Extreme's "new westside location"<ref name="wsj-2000-03-26-p95">(2000, March 26). Pizza Extreme and Pizza Pit help-wanted advertisements. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 95. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/407212072/ 407212072].</ref>. In 2009 that restaurant, in the Meadowood Shopping Center, was the chain's main dine-in restaurant and was "both a Pizza Pit and a Pizza Extreme", serving pizzas from both menus<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />.
In December 2005 the chain advertised for drivers at "all locations": 5706 Raymond Rd., 605 E. Washington Ave., 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd. and 1207 N. Sherman Ave.<ref name="ct-2005-12-08-p27">(2005, December 8). Pizza Extreme help-wanted ad listing all locations: 5706 Raymond Rd., 605 E. Washington Ave., 2936 Fish Hatchery, 1207 N. Sherman Ave. ''The Capital Times''. p. 27. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/525998072/ 525998072].</ref> A Capital Times Super Bowl feature that year quoted its delivery man and manager Kevin Grauvogl on tips, and listed Madison's biggest delivery days as Halloween, New Year's Eve, the Packers' opener, the Super Bowl and Easter<ref name="ct-2005-02-07-p18">Kalk Derby, S. (2005, February 7). Super Bowl pizza-delivery feature: Pizza Extreme manager Kevin Grauvogl; Halloween, New Year's Eve and the Packers' opener as the big nights. ''The Capital Times''. p. 18. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/525978215/ 525978215].</ref>. A delivery car was stolen from behind the Raymond Road store in August 2008<ref name="mc-2008-08-20-pizza-extreme-car">(2008, August 20). [https://madison.com/news/local/article_a8a622ba-589a-50cb-8429-0e8bb2afb5a5.html "Madison man accused of taking pizza delivery car."] ''madison.com''.</ref>.


At the end of August 2009 the original East Washington Avenue store closed and moved to [[1614 Monroe Street|1614 Monroe St.]], across from Camp Randall Stadium<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />. Full of Bull Famous Roast Beef opened in the old store in June 2010<ref name="ct-2010-04-08-p7">(2010, April 8). Full of Bull Famous Roast Beef to open in the former Pizza Extreme at 605 E. Washington Ave. ''The Capital Times''. p. 7. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522587332/ 522587332].</ref><ref name="ct-2010-06-17-p8">(2010, June 17). Table Talk: Full of Bull opened last week at Blair Street and East Washington Avenue. ''The Capital Times''. p. 8. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522591279/ 522591279].</ref>. In July 2010 a Pizza Extreme opened in Mount Horeb, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former [[Pizza Pit]]; the chain's other stores were then on Monroe Street, Raymond Road, North Sherman Avenue and Fish Hatchery Road<ref name="ct-2010-07-15-p7">(2010, July 15). Table Talk: Mount Horeb now has a Pizza Extreme, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former Pizza Pit; the chain's other stores listed. ''The Capital Times''. p. 7. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522548861/ 522548861].</ref>. In September 2026 that was the only address on the company's website<ref name="web-pizzaextremes-about">[https://pizzaextremes.com/about-us Pizza Extreme, "About Us: How It All Began".] ''pizzaextremes.com''. Retrieved September 28, 2026.</ref>.
At the end of August 2009 the original East Washington Avenue store closed and moved to [[1614 Monroe Street|1614 Monroe St.]], across from Camp Randall Stadium<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />. Full of Bull Famous Roast Beef opened in the old store in June 2010<ref name="ct-2010-04-08-p7">(2010, April 8). Full of Bull Famous Roast Beef to open in the former Pizza Extreme at 605 E. Washington Ave. ''The Capital Times''. p. 7. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522587332/ 522587332].</ref><ref name="ct-2010-06-17-p8">(2010, June 17). Table Talk: Full of Bull opened last week at Blair Street and East Washington Avenue. ''The Capital Times''. p. 8. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522591279/ 522591279].</ref>. In July 2010 a Pizza Extreme opened in Mount Horeb, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former [[Pizza Pit]]; the chain's other stores were then on Monroe Street, Raymond Road, North Sherman Avenue and Fish Hatchery Road<ref name="ct-2010-07-15-p7">(2010, July 15). Table Talk: Mount Horeb now has a Pizza Extreme, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former Pizza Pit; the chain's other stores listed. ''The Capital Times''. p. 7. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522548861/ 522548861].</ref>. In September 2026 that was the only address on the company's website<ref name="web-pizzaextremes-about">[https://pizzaextremes.com/about-us Pizza Extreme, "About Us: How It All Began".] ''pizzaextremes.com''. Retrieved September 28, 2026.</ref>.
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===Former Locations===
===Former Locations===
* [[605 East Washington Avenue|605 E. Washington Ave.]] (1991 to August 2009).
* [[605 East Washington Avenue|605 E. Washington Ave.]] (1991 to August 2009).
* 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd., also given as 2937 (by February 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-02-11-p74" />; open in 2009).
* 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd., also given as 2937 (by February 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-02-11-p74" />; advertised 2005<ref name="ct-2005-12-08-p27" />; open in 2009).
* 1207 N. Sherman Ave. (by September 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-09-08-p79" />; open in 2009).
* 1207 N. Sherman Ave. (by September 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-09-08-p79" />; advertised 2005<ref name="ct-2005-12-08-p27" />; open in 2009).
* [[5706 Raymond Road|5706 Raymond Rd.]] (2000 to before January 2017<ref name="mc-2017-01-30-los-atlantes">Kalk Derby, S. (2017, January 30). [https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/restaurants/article_26236e4c-ff4f-5d12-8f19-79493f39d5f7.html "Food-starved Meadowood gets a Mexican restaurant."] ''madison.com''.</ref>).
* [[5706 Raymond Road|5706 Raymond Rd.]] (2000 to before January 2017<ref name="mc-2017-01-30-los-atlantes">Kalk Derby, S. (2017, January 30). [https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/restaurants/article_26236e4c-ff4f-5d12-8f19-79493f39d5f7.html "Food-starved Meadowood gets a Mexican restaurant."] ''madison.com''.</ref>).
* Monona (open in 2009<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />).
* Monona (open in 2009<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />).

Revision as of 03:38, 22 October 2026

Pizza Extreme is a Madison pizza business founded in 1991 by Jim Meyer and Bill Stein, who had both worked for Pizza Pit[1]. Since about 2000 it has been run together with some of the Madison Pizza Pit stores[2].

History

Meyer and Stein opened the first Pizza Extreme at 605 E. Washington Ave., in a former market and liquor store that they remodeled themselves[2]. It was advertising for help by August 1991[3]. Stein explained the name to a reviewer that October: "our idea is to go to the extreme in providing the best ingredients"[1]. Meyer said in 2009 that it referred to toppings people did not expect on a pizza, such as pesto, spinach, artichokes or Alfredo sauce[2].

Stein died on September 28, 1992, aged 39[4], about a year after the opening. Meyer carried on, and opened a second store on Fish Hatchery Road by February 1996[5] and a third on North Sherman Avenue by September 1996[6].

In January 2000 Meyer was one of the two heads of the group of investors that bought the seven company-owned Pizza Pit stores in Madison[7]. By late March one of them, at 5706 Raymond Rd., was advertised as Pizza Extreme's "new westside location"[8]. In 2009 that restaurant, in the Meadowood Shopping Center, was the chain's main dine-in restaurant and was "both a Pizza Pit and a Pizza Extreme", serving pizzas from both menus[2].

In December 2005 the chain advertised for drivers at "all locations": 5706 Raymond Rd., 605 E. Washington Ave., 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd. and 1207 N. Sherman Ave.[9] A Capital Times Super Bowl feature that year quoted its delivery man and manager Kevin Grauvogl on tips, and listed Madison's biggest delivery days as Halloween, New Year's Eve, the Packers' opener, the Super Bowl and Easter[10]. A delivery car was stolen from behind the Raymond Road store in August 2008[11].

At the end of August 2009 the original East Washington Avenue store closed and moved to 1614 Monroe St., across from Camp Randall Stadium[2]. Full of Bull Famous Roast Beef opened in the old store in June 2010[12][13]. In July 2010 a Pizza Extreme opened in Mount Horeb, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former Pizza Pit; the chain's other stores were then on Monroe Street, Raymond Road, North Sherman Avenue and Fish Hatchery Road[14]. In September 2026 that was the only address on the company's website[15].

Pizza

  • In 1991 the menu had thin, hand-tossed pizza, which the reviewer found very like Pizza Pit's, and stuffed pizzas from a 9-inch cheese ($7.50) to the 11-inch "Extreme Pizza" with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and green pepper ($13). There was no thick crust. Pizzas could be bought half-baked to finish at home[1].
  • Pesto pizza and spinach and cheese pizza were on the menu from the start[1].
  • In 2009 the Raymond Road restaurant also sold Greenbush Bakery doughnuts, Ancora coffee, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream, gumbo, and Athens gyros[2].

Trivia

  • Brian Glassel and Tim Nicholson, the founders of Glass Nickel Pizza, met while working at Pizza Extreme. Nicholson worked there for two and a half years, Glassel for less than two months[16].
  • Meyer had also worked at Edwardo's, a stuffed-pizza chain from Chicago[1].
  • In 1991 Pizza Extreme delivered west as far as Highland Avenue, east to Commercial Avenue, and south to Olin Avenue[1].
  • The original telephone number, 259-1500, was still in use in 2026.
  • The supplier of Athens gyro meat said in 2016, and again in 2022, that "Pizza Pit/Pizza Extreme" was its largest customer[17][18].

Locations

  • 1614 Monroe St. (from the end of August 2009; the same space had been a Pizza Extreme once before[2]).

Former Locations

  • 605 E. Washington Ave. (1991 to August 2009).
  • 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd., also given as 2937 (by February 1996[5]; advertised 2005[9]; open in 2009).
  • 1207 N. Sherman Ave. (by September 1996[6]; advertised 2005[9]; open in 2009).
  • 5706 Raymond Rd. (2000 to before January 2017[19]).
  • Monona (open in 2009[2]).
  • 1200 Highway 151, Mount Horeb (from July 2010[14]).

An office at 433 Grand Canyon Dr. took job applications in 2000[8].

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Rath, J. (1991, October 26). "'Extreme' tastes familiar." The Capital Times. p. 28. Newspapers.com image 520380615.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Troller, S. (2009, September 27). "Extreme foresight for local pizza chain." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 52. Newspapers.com image 407707812.
  3. ↑ (1991, August 11). Pizza Extreme help-wanted advertisement (earliest found). Wisconsin State Journal. p. 85. Seen in search results only; the page has not been read.
  4. ↑ (1992, September 29). "Stein, William L." The Capital Times. p. 28. Newspapers.com images 521269345, 406187507.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 (1996, February 11). Pizza Extreme help-wanted advertisement, 605 E. Washington and 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 74. Newspapers.com image 397200098.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 (1996, September 8). Pizza Extreme delivery-driver advertisement listing three stores. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 79. Newspapers.com image 406359778.
  7. ↑ Gribble, R. A. (2000, January 29). "3 Pizza Pit stores to reopen." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 39. Newspapers.com image 400919775.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 (2000, March 26). Pizza Extreme and Pizza Pit help-wanted advertisements. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 95. Newspapers.com image 407212072.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 (2005, December 8). Pizza Extreme help-wanted ad listing all locations: 5706 Raymond Rd., 605 E. Washington Ave., 2936 Fish Hatchery, 1207 N. Sherman Ave. The Capital Times. p. 27. Newspapers.com image 525998072.
  10. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2005, February 7). Super Bowl pizza-delivery feature: Pizza Extreme manager Kevin Grauvogl; Halloween, New Year's Eve and the Packers' opener as the big nights. The Capital Times. p. 18. Newspapers.com image 525978215.
  11. ↑ (2008, August 20). "Madison man accused of taking pizza delivery car." madison.com.
  12. ↑ (2010, April 8). Full of Bull Famous Roast Beef to open in the former Pizza Extreme at 605 E. Washington Ave. The Capital Times. p. 7. Newspapers.com image 522587332.
  13. ↑ (2010, June 17). Table Talk: Full of Bull opened last week at Blair Street and East Washington Avenue. The Capital Times. p. 8. Newspapers.com image 522591279.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 (2010, July 15). Table Talk: Mount Horeb now has a Pizza Extreme, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former Pizza Pit; the chain's other stores listed. The Capital Times. p. 7. Newspapers.com image 522548861.
  15. ↑ Pizza Extreme, "About Us: How It All Began". pizzaextremes.com. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ (1997, November 8). Cheap Eats news: Glass Nickel Pizza Company opens. The Capital Times. p. 41. Newspapers.com image 522191880.
  17. ↑ Christians, L. (2016, September 17). "This spring, gas station gem Athens Gyros in Westport to become Athens Grill." madison.com.
  18. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2022, October 22). "Part of Knoche's meat business will live on, 'We were retired for one day'." madison.com.
  19. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2017, January 30). "Food-starved Meadowood gets a Mexican restaurant." madison.com.
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