Pizza Extreme

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Revision as of 17:13, 21 October 2026 by Jacques (talk | contribs) (Add the 2010–2014 years from the newspaper research recorded in the database; earlier text kept)

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].

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[9][10]. 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[11]. In September 2026 that was the only address on the company's website[12].

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[13].
  • 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[14][15].

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]; open in 2009).
  • 1207 N. Sherman Ave. (by September 1996[6]; open in 2009).
  • 5706 Raymond Rd. (2000 to before January 2017[16]).
  • Monona (open in 2009[2]).
  • 1200 Highway 151, Mount Horeb (from July 2010[11]).

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. ↑ (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.
  10. ↑ (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.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 (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.
  12. ↑ Pizza Extreme, "About Us: How It All Began". pizzaextremes.com. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ (1997, November 8). Cheap Eats news: Glass Nickel Pizza Company opens. The Capital Times. p. 41. Newspapers.com image 522191880.
  14. ↑ Christians, L. (2016, September 17). "This spring, gas station gem Athens Gyros in Westport to become Athens Grill." madison.com.
  15. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2022, October 22). "Part of Knoche's meat business will live on, 'We were retired for one day'." madison.com.
  16. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2017, January 30). "Food-starved Meadowood gets a Mexican restaurant." madison.com.
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