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'''Pizza Extreme''' is a Madison pizza business founded in 1991 by [[Jim Meyer]] and [[Bill Stein]], who had both worked for [[Pizza Pit]]<ref name="ct-1991-10-26-p28">Rath, J. (1991, October 26). "'Extreme' tastes familiar." ''The Capital Times''. p. 28. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/520380615/ 520380615].</ref>. Since about 2000 it has been run together with some of the Madison Pizza Pit stores<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52">Troller, S. (2009, September 27). [https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/extreme-foresight-for-local-pizza-chain/article_49ba4b70-a203-5014-ab84-3f1931cf0101.html "Extreme foresight for local pizza chain."] ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 52. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/407707812/ 407707812].</ref>.

==History==
Meyer and Stein opened the first Pizza Extreme at [[605 East Washington Avenue|605 E. Washington Ave.]], in a former market and liquor store that they remodeled themselves<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />. It was advertising for help by August 1991<ref name="wsj-1991-08-11-p85">(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.</ref>. Stein explained the name to a reviewer that October: "our idea is to go to the extreme in providing the best ingredients"<ref name="ct-1991-10-26-p28" />. Meyer said in 2009 that it referred to toppings people did not expect on a pizza, such as pesto, spinach, artichokes or Alfredo sauce<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />.

Stein died on September 28, 1992, aged 39<ref name="ct-1992-09-29-p28">(1992, September 29). "Stein, William L." ''The Capital Times''. p. 28. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/521269345/ 521269345], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/406187507/ 406187507].</ref>, about a year after the opening. Meyer carried on, and opened a second store on Fish Hatchery Road by February 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-02-11-p74">(1996, February 11). Pizza Extreme help-wanted advertisement, 605 E. Washington and 2936 Fish Hatchery Rd. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 74. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/397200098/ 397200098].</ref> and a third on North Sherman Avenue by September 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-09-08-p79">(1996, September 8). Pizza Extreme delivery-driver advertisement listing three stores. ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 79. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/406359778/ 406359778].</ref>.

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" />.

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" />. 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>.

==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<ref name="ct-1991-10-26-p28" />.
* Pesto pizza and spinach and cheese pizza were on the menu from the start<ref name="ct-1991-10-26-p28" />.
* In 2009 the Raymond Road restaurant also sold Greenbush Bakery doughnuts, Ancora coffee, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream, gumbo, and Athens gyros<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />.

==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<ref name="ct-1997-11-08-p41">(1997, November 8). Cheap Eats news: Glass Nickel Pizza Company opens. ''The Capital Times''. p. 41. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522191880/ 522191880].</ref>.
* Meyer had also worked at [[Edwardo’s Natural Pizza|Edwardo's]], a stuffed-pizza chain from Chicago<ref name="ct-1991-10-26-p28" />.
* In 1991 Pizza Extreme delivered west as far as Highland Avenue, east to Commercial Avenue, and south to Olin Avenue<ref name="ct-1991-10-26-p28" />.
* 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<ref name="mc-2016-09-17-athens-gyros">Christians, L. (2016, September 17). [https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/article_9d08f58d-7bb1-58d3-88a5-1e30e8396593.html "This spring, gas station gem Athens Gyros in Westport to become Athens Grill."] ''madison.com''.</ref><ref name="mc-2022-10-22-knoches">Kalk Derby, S. (2022, October 22). [https://madison.com/news/local/business/article_ba7bde33-857f-555c-b3e3-7776c6503c1f.html "Part of Knoche's meat business will live on, 'We were retired for one day'."] ''madison.com''.</ref>.

==Locations==
* [[1614 Monroe Street|1614 Monroe St.]] (from the end of August 2009; the same space had been a Pizza Extreme once before<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />).

===Former Locations===
* [[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).
* 1207 N. Sherman Ave. (by September 1996<ref name="wsj-1996-09-08-p79" />; 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>).
* Monona (open in 2009<ref name="wsj-2009-09-27-p52" />).

An office at 433 Grand Canyon Dr. took job applications in 2000<ref name="wsj-2000-03-26-p95" />.

==See also==
* [[Pizza Pit]]
* [[Item:Q512|Pizza Extreme in the Pizzapedia database]]

==Notes==
<references />

[[Category:Chains from Madison]]
[[Category:1990s]]