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Crews work to turn the former 7/11 at 5457 N. Clark St. to a Pizza Lobo restaurant on Nov 4, 2021. Credit: Joe Ward/Block Club Chicago

ANDERSONVILLE — A popular Logan Square pizza spot is coming to Andersonville, bringing New York-inspired pizzas and an expanded patio to a prominent neighborhood corner.

Pizza Lobo will open at 5457 N. Clark St., renovating the former 7-Eleven building at Clark Street and Catalpa Avenue that was the site of a recent failed development proposal, a spokesperson for parent company Heisler Hospitality confirmed.

Pizza Lobo opened its first location in August 2020 at 3000 W. Fullerton Ave. in Logan Square. Offering modern takes on New York-style pizza, the restaurant has a 4,000-square-foot patio with retro aesthetics.

Work is ongoing at the Andersonville location, with is expected to open in the spring and have a patio “much larger” than Logan Square’s, spokesperson Hannah Turnbaugh Compton said.

A portion of the patio will be enclosed for year-round dining, she said. The inside space will have a bar and seating.

Pizza Lobo’s 4,000-square-foot patio. Credit: Courtesy of Wade McElroy

At its Logan Square location, Pizza Lobo offers classic and specialty pizzas, including the $29 Amatrice Yo’Self (red sauce, roasted tomato, Calabrian chile, garlic, pancetta and pecorino) and Provolone & ‘Nduja (pink sauce, smoked provolone, bay leaf ricotta and tempesta ‘nduja) for $28.

It also serves cheese pizza slices and offers build-your-own pies.

Owner Heisler Hospitality is also behind popular spots like Pub Royale, Sportsman’s Club and Estereo.

The restaurant’s move to the former 7-Eleven spot ends speculation over the prominent property’s future.

Last year, Candea Development sought to build a four-story, 36-unit apartment building with a clock tower on the site. The company withdrew its proposal after founder Armand Candea sparred with neighbors on social media and posted disparaging remarks about protesters during summer 2020.

As Heisler Hospitality looked to expand Pizza Lobo, the Andersonville space fit the restaurant’s model, its spokesperson said.

“We believe strongly in the product coming out of Lobo and have always had plans to expand the concept in some capacity,” Turnbaugh Compton said in a statement. “When we came across the space in Andersonville, we knew that it would be a great home for a second location.”

Pizza Lobo is not the only Logan Square restaurant known for large outdoor patios to branch into Andersonville. Parson’s Chicken & Fish opened in June at 5721 N. Clark St.

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