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'''Urban Pizza Cafe''' (also '''Urban Pizza Co.''' and, in a 2007 story, '''Urban Journey''') was a pizza and coffee shop at 1501 Monroe St., on the corner of Monroe and Regent streets across from Camp Randall Stadium, from November 1997 until 2007.

==History==
Urban Pizza Co. opened in November 1997, in the same week as [[Glass Nickel Pizza]] and Pizza Planet, and with the Glass Nickel "helped introduce Madison to gourmet pizza", the State Journal wrote in 2004; its owner Bob Sieger had no plans to expand: "It's not a big operation … We're a neighborhood thing; we get 20 pizzas — and that's fine."<ref name="wsj-2004-12-26-p21">Wallmeyer, A. (2004, December 26). "Pizzas with pizzazz: Gourmet pizza places are proliferating." ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 21. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/406304963/ 406304963], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/406304963/ 406304963], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/406304975/ 406304975].</ref> The city's licence lists of 2000 to 2003 carried "Urban Pizza Co., Inc. dba Urban Pizza Co." with Robert J. Cuomo and then the manager Casey Gryske as agent<ref name="ct-2000-05-25-p12">(2000, May 25). City of Madison licence renewal applications, 2000–01 (pages 12–13). ''The Capital Times''. p. 12. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522191464/ 522191464], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522191464/ 522191464], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522191472/ 522191472].</ref><ref name="ct-2002-05-21-p4">(2002, May 21). City of Madison licence renewal applications, 2002–03 (pages 4–5). ''The Capital Times''. p. 4. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/526007657/ 526007657], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/526007657/ 526007657], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/526007659/ 526007659].</ref>. When cheese prices soared in 2001 Gryske said the shop had two suppliers competing, "but we're already kind of a high-end place so we can't really raise our prices"<ref name="ct-2001-09-05-p1">Ivey, M. (2001, September 5). "Eating up profits: Cheese prices hurt pizza places." ''The Capital Times''. p. 1. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522189987/ 522189987], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522189987/ 522189987], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522190014/ 522190014].</ref>. In October 2003 "The Urban Pizza Company" won the Daily Cardinal's pizza poll outright with the Adoris, delivered in 27 minutes for $6.85 — "for sure, the prettiest pizza"<ref name="dc-2003-10-15-pizza-poll">Capecchi, L. (2003, October 15). [https://madison.com/daily-cardinal/news/article_540d6bb2-4337-56db-ada4-d745f277abcf.html "Pizza poll delivers."] ''The Daily Cardinal''.</ref>.

Sieger owned the building by April 2000, when he and Tom Brunner bought the Copper Grid tavern next door at 1509 Monroe St. from its owners of 35 years<ref name="wsj-2000-05-02-p16">(2000, May 2). "Copper Grid sold." ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 16. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/407386298/ 407386298].</ref>; by 2001 the pair were "the Gridiron/Urban Pizza"<ref name="ct-2001-11-15-p15">(2001, November 15). "Food drive set for Saturday Badger game." ''The Capital Times''. p. 15. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522228242/ 522228242].</ref>, and on football Saturdays Urban Pizza ran a beer garden<ref name="ct-2000-09-01-p6">(2000, September 1). Fans' reactions to the UW Shoe Box suspensions; one interviewed 'standing in front of the Urban Pizza beer garden'. ''The Capital Times''. p. 6. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522643806/ 522643806].</ref>. Sandra Kallio's three-star review in May 2003 praised "gourmet pizzas and salads, Sprecher soda and a good selection of bottled beers, fresh-baked cookies, tabletop games and a party room that can be reserved for free", with counter service and only six parking spaces; a cheese pizza was $8.95 and a specialty $13.49, thin crust from $6.89, and slices $2.50 at lunch and dinner<ref name="ct-2003-05-01-p75">Kallio, S. (2003, May 1). "Urban Pizza toppings more than enough." ''The Capital Times''. p. 75. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522527863/ 522527863], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522527870/ 522527870].</ref>. That spring Robert Oldenburg applied for the beer and wine licence as The Urban Pizza Company, an application the council placed on file<ref name="ct-2003-03-04-p20">(2003, March 4). "Alcohol License Review Committee hearing notice (April 8, 2003)." ''The Capital Times''. p. 20. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522653179/ 522653179].</ref><ref name="ct-2003-05-26-p7">(2003, May 26). "Common Council proceedings: ALRC report." ''The Capital Times''. p. 7. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522445492/ 522445492].</ref>. An Urban Pizza employee appears in a Capital Times story of April 2004 about the Regent Street neighbourhood, and in June 2004 the city council approved a change of corporate name, "Urban Pizza Cafe, LLC, formerly Urban Pizza Co., Inc., dba Urban Pizza Co., 1501 Monroe Street"<ref name="ct-2005-05-23-p5">(2005, May 23). City of Madison licence renewal list, May 2005 (continued): Casa Bianca, Pizza Pit, Pizzeria Uno, Glass Nickel, Pizza Di Roma, Urban Pizza Cafe. ''The Capital Times''. p. 5. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/525987738/ 525987738].</ref>. The licence, with Robert Sieger as agent, was renewed each May from 2005 to 2007<ref name="ct-2005-05-23-p5" /><ref name="ct-2007-05-28-p4">(2007, May 28). City of Madison licence renewal list, May 2007: Rocky Rococo (8 stores), Cafe Porta Alba, Casa Bianca, Pizza Pit, Urban Pizza Cafe, Pizza Di Roma, Pizza Hut, Unos, Roman Candle. ''The Capital Times''. p. 4. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/529156052/ 529156052].</ref>.

The corner belonged to the Madison architect and developer Bob Sieger, whose properties there included "the Urban Journey pizza and coffee shop and the Grid Iron tavern". From 2005 he tried to win approval for Fieldhouse Station, a $12 million retail and condominium project on the site; the plans stalled in the Plan Commission in 2007<ref name="ct-2007-01-09-p31">(2007, January 9). Fieldhouse Station on hold: developer Bob Sieger owns the Monroe–Regent corner properties including the Urban Journey pizza and coffee shop. ''The Capital Times''. p. 31. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522447403/ 522447403].</ref><ref name="ct-2007-07-10-p10">(2007, July 10). "Fieldhouse gridlock: Regent-Monroe plan still stalled." ''The Capital Times''. p. 10. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522435345/ 522435345].</ref>. By then the pizzeria was gone: the city's list of businesses whose liquor licences were not renewed by July 1, 2007, carried "Urban Pizza (closed)"<ref name="ct-2007-07-03-p3">(2007, July 3). Businesses whose liquor licences were not renewed by July 1, 2007, including "Urban Pizza (closed)" and Casa Bianca. ''The Capital Times''. p. 3. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522433714/ 522433714].</ref>, and the project site was described a week later as "the former Urban Pizza and Copper Grid Tavern"<ref name="ct-2007-07-10-p10" />.

==Former Locations==
* 1501 Monroe St. (November 1997<ref name="wsj-2004-12-26-p21" /> to mid-2007). In November 2004 a new church began meeting next door and converting space "in the Urban Pizza building" into a worship and community centre<ref name="ct-2004-11-30-p25">Bergin, M. (2004, November 30). "Journey of faith." ''The Capital Times''. p. 25. Newspapers.com images [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522336817/ 522336817], [https://www.newspapers.com/image/522336832/ 522336832].</ref>.

==Pizza==
* The Adoris: a pesto-smeared tomato slice, roasted red pepper, fresh spinach and an olive oil and garlic sauce, with no tomato sauce and a seasoned crust<ref name="dc-2003-10-15-pizza-poll" />.
* The "Urban original crust": a buttery deep dish "that's never soggy or greasy and always generous with the toppings"; a 12-inch feeds three or four. The Maui Dreamin' (Canadian ham, pineapple, Mandarin oranges and sliced almonds) and the GreenPiece (broccoli, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions and black olives) were the reviewer's favourites in 2003<ref name="ct-2003-05-01-p75" />.

==See also==
* [[Item:Q1918|Urban Pizza Cafe in the Madison Pizza Wiki database]]

==Notes==
<references />