Ian's Pizza

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Revision as of 03:37, 22 October 2026 by Jacques (talk | contribs) (Add the 2005–2009 years from the newspaper research recorded in the database; earlier text kept)

Ian's Pizza was cofounded by Ian Gurfield. It opened on October 31, 2001, and is known for selling pizza by the slice, especially its mac 'n cheese pizza[1].

History

The first decade

Ian Gurfield, a philosophy and economics graduate from Massachusetts, looked at 50 college towns before choosing Madison — Bloomington, Indiana, was his second choice — and opened Ian's Pizza By the Slice at 319 N. Frances St. on October 31, 2001, at 24, after sleeping on friends' couches and working 100-hour weeks[2][3][4]. He left space for a wood-fired oven that never came[5]. By 2005 the store sold about 300,000 slices a year, 20 to 40 kinds at a time, and had tried more than 500 varieties, among them cookie dough; the mac and cheese was the most popular, at $2.75[6][2].

The second store opened in July 2005 at 115 State St., in the former Peacemeal Vegetarian Restaurant, for lunch and weekend late nights, when "there really aren't many pizza options" at the top of State Street[6][7]. In February 2007 it expanded into 113 State St. next door, a pornography arcade for 32 years, adding 2,000 square feet, and the delivery service moved there from Frances Street[8]. The general manager of 2006–2007, Clayton Scherer, said the business "would not be what it is without staying open late for the bar time crowd"[9]; in 2008 the Frances Street store was "open till the line stops coming in", sometimes until 4 or 5 a.m., and took 19 of 66 votes in a late-night survey[10][11]. A UW seniors' poster of things to do before graduating included "one more late-night snack at Ian's"[12].

In June 2008 a third store opened near Wrigley Field in Chicago, run by two Madison employees as managing partners — "We're not franchising"[3] — and by 2011 there were also stores in Milwaukee and Chicago[13]. In 2009 Ian's took over the closed Pavlov's Pizza at 1511 Williamson St. for a bakery and commissary supplying the Madison and Milwaukee stores[14][15]. In the Capital Times' "Top 5" lists of 2010 to 2013 the Mac n' Cheese slice came first every time[16].

When the protests against the budget-repair bill began in February 2011, the State Street store gave away 60 slices on February 15. Donors then began paying for pizzas for the protesters, and within a week the store had handed out over 3,000 20-inch pizzas, with orders from all 50 states and more than 50 countries, "including a research station in Antarctica"; staff came from the other stores to help[13]. By April the total was close to 56,000 slices; the store sold "This is what democracy tastes like" T-shirts for charity[17]. Gurfield refused to take sides: "We have always said, we're pro pizza"[18].

In January 2012 the store announced it would move across the street to 100 State St., the former Madison Children's Museum, 25 percent larger; Nick Martin was then "one of five owners of the State Street location". Because the building belonged to Frank's Liquor of La Crosse, the tied-house law meant the new store could sell no alcohol[19]. The move came in about May 2012, with a larger salad bar, an open kitchen and a wall for large-scale art[20]. That autumn Gurfield opened his wood-fired S2 Pizzabar on State Street; it lasted four months[5]. In September 2013 Ian's hosted the National Pizza Eating Championship on Library Mall[21].

2015 to 2019

In 2015 Ian's teamed up with its ostensible competitor Salvatore's Tomato Pies to make its own sausage — about 400 pounds a week, of Uphoff kurobota pork — and was planning its sixth store, in Seattle[22]. Ian's signed a lease for the Garver Feed Mill by December 2017, two years before the renovated building opened[23]; the Garver store's first week in July 2019 was so busy the ovens failed — "It broke us" — and it closed briefly, reopening July 30[24].

On State Street, owner Nick Martin spoke up in the debates of 2017 and 2018 about conditions at the top of State Street, and the store's Tuesday night open mics were held up as programming "inclusive to the homeless"[25].

In January 2026 Ian's had three stores in Madison, among them State Street and the Garver Feed Mill (opened 2019), three in Milwaukee, and one in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, opened in July 2025, with a commercial kitchen at 802 Walsh Rd. Each store has its own group of owners drawn from its employees, friends and family; Nick Martin is managing partner of the Madison stores[1].

During the COVID-19 pandemic all three Madison stores of 2020, on State Street, on North Frances Street and at Garver, kept up carryout and delivery[26]. A fund called "Stay home! Send pizza!" sent Ian's pizzas to hospital workers in the spring of 2020[27], and Ian's gave pizza to the protesters of 2020, as it had to the Act 10 protesters of 2011, when it delivered up to 1,200 pizzas a day to the Capitol with orders from all 50 states and 72 countries[28][29]. Only three of its seven restaurants got federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants in 2021[30]. To keep staff, it guaranteed tipped workers $15 an hour and paid $2 more after 10 p.m.[31]

The largest store yet, 8,000 square feet at 303 W. Verona Ave. in Verona's Mill District, broke ground in early January 2026 and was due to open by midsummer. It is the first Ian's to sell liquor, and has its own Calliope Ice Cream counter[1].

Pizza

  • The mac 'n' cheese slice was already the best seller in 2005, when the regular slices included steak and fries, guacamole burrito, lasagna, Philly cheese steak and chicken cordon bleu[2]. The Capital Times' top five sellers in December 2009: Mac & Cheese, Chili Cheese Fritos, Smokey the Bandit, Tri-Veggie, Philly Cheesesteak[32].
  • Seasonal specials include a Thanksgiving pizza: mozzarella, mushroom cream, mushrooms, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce and fried onions[33]. The "seasonal stunt pie" has been on the November menu in some form since at least 2007, when it was paired with a dessert pie of sweet potato, caramelized pecans and mini marshmallows; Jeff Bach overhauled the modern turkey-and-stuffing slice at the commissary around 2010, replacing a version held together by mashed potatoes and gravy[34].
  • "As far as the pizza world is concerned, tavern-style pizza is definitely having a moment," Gurfield said in 2026[35].

Locations

  • 100 State St. (from about May 2012)[20][28]
  • 319 N. Frances St. (open in 2020)[36][37].
  • Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green (2019 to present)[33][1].
  • 303 W. Verona Ave., Verona (due to open in summer 2026).

Former Locations

  • 115 State St. (July 2005 to about May 2012), from February 2007 also 113 State St.[7][8][19][20].

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kalk Derby, S. (2026, January 19). "Ian's Pizza is coming to Verona, its 'biggest undertaking yet'." madison.com.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Evans, G. (2005, November 10). "Ian's offers diners a slice of pizza diversity." madison.com.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rathburn, C. (2008, May 8). "Ian's to make dough in Chicago." The Daily Cardinal.
  4. ↑ Finke, A. (2008, February 28). "Ian's Pizza founder inspires UW crowd." The Daily Cardinal.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Christians, L. (2012, December 27). "A sister to Ian's, S2 Pizzabar gets wood-fired up." The Capital Times. p. 9. Newspapers.com image 520751949.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kalk Derby, S. (2005, April 14). "Ian's Pizza brings its slices to upper State Street." madison.com.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ernest, K. (2005, August 31). "Madison's freshest grub guide: New restaurants since Summer 2005." The Daily Cardinal.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 (2007, February 1). "Ian's Pizza expands into former arcade." madison.com.
  9. ↑ Abing, C. (2006, December 4). "Area pizzerias vie for a slice of student appetites." The Daily Cardinal.
  10. ↑ Hebel, R. (2008, June 28). "Chow time: the late-night rush is booming business for some downtown eateries." madison.com.
  11. ↑ Hebel, R. (2008, June 28). "Favorite late-night snack shacks." madison.com.
  12. ↑ Wegner, A. N. (2008, May 28). "Through thick and thin: Madison's pizzerias have come a long way from their humble start on Spaghetti Corner." madison.com.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Novak, B. (2011, March 3). "Power (and pizza) to the people!" The Capital Times. p. 6. Newspapers.com image 522560162.
  14. ↑ (2009, April 16). "Ian's plans new east side bakery." The Capital Times. p. 7. Newspapers.com image 522551504.
  15. ↑ Troller, S. (2009, June 17). "Ian's bakery to open on Willy Street." madison.com.
  16. ↑ (2010, March 4). "Top 5 slices at Ian's Pizza, State Street": Mac n' Cheese first. The Capital Times. p. 5. Newspapers.com image 522532381.
  17. ↑ Rose, D. (2011, April 23). "Catching up: With protests over, business back to normal at Ian's Pizza." madison.com.
  18. ↑ Opoien, J. (2013, November 2). "Is Scott Walker responsible for the success of Ian's Pizza?" madison.com.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Kalk Derby, S. (2012, January 22). "Restaurant news: Ian's Pizza to move across State Street." madison.com.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 (2012, June 14). "Ian's serves an offbeat slice of heaven in bigger digs." The Capital Times. p. 9. Newspapers.com image 522587625.
  21. ↑ Thomas, R. (2013, September 19). "Slice of glory: Top eaters will chow down at Ian's pizza-eating contest." The Capital Times. p. 4. Newspapers.com image 520620843.
  22. ↑ Christians, L. (2015, July 16). "Ian's Pizza and Sal's Tomato Pies team up to make their own sausage." madison.com.
  23. ↑ (2017, December 13). "Construction on Garver facility begins." The Capital Times. p. O11. Newspapers.com image 516779328.
  24. ↑ (2019, November 6). Garver Feed Mill opening, with Ian's Pizza among the tenants. The Capital Times. p. O13. Newspapers.com image 613239930.
  25. ↑ Pasque, L. S. (2018, July 25). "State Street crime at a high." The Capital Times. p. O12. Newspapers.com image 508043289.
  26. ↑ Christians, L. (2020, March 17). "UPDATED: Some restaurants close, others shift to low-contact take-out in wake of COVID-19." madison.com.
  27. ↑ Christians, L. (2020, April 6). "Stay home, send pizza: Efforts to 'feed the frontlines' of coronavirus fight gain traction." madison.com.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Christians, L. (2020, June 12). "Restaurants say #blacklivesmatter with posts, pizza." madison.com.
  29. ↑ Vetterkind, R. (2021, February 7). "Act 10 helped put Ian's Pizza on the map." madison.com.
  30. ↑ Schmidt, M. (2021, July 31). "Only 1 in 3 Wisconsin restaurant applicants got COVID relief grant, leaving room for worry." madison.com.
  31. ↑ Christians, L. (2021, September 29). "Out of service: What will it take to bring back Madison's restaurant workers?" madison.com.
  32. ↑ (2009, December 10). "Mad City Stats: Top 5 selling pizzas at Ian's Pizza": Mac & Cheese, Chili Cheese Fritos, Smokey the Bandit, Tri-Veggie, Philly Cheesesteak. The Capital Times. p. 5. Newspapers.com image 522457276.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 (2023, November 15). Thanksgiving takeout roundup: Ian's Pizza Thanksgiving pizza. The Capital Times. p. O44. Newspapers.com image 1019208710.
  34. ↑ Lay, C. (2018, November 22). "Let's Eat: Give thanks for Ian's Pizza's tasty turkey-and-stuffing stunt slice." madison.com.
  35. ↑ Rodriguez, A. (2026, January 14). "Kebabs and coffee: 2026 culinary trends." The Capital Times. p. O30. Newspapers.com image 1291918101.
  36. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2020, January 9). "New Novanta restaurant is quick, dependable and spirited." madison.com.
  37. ↑ Christians, L. (2020, November 7). "Cold comfort: With winter on its way, Madison restaurants scramble to stay alive." madison.com.
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