Family Behind Shuttered Pompei Opens 'Pompeii Xpress' On Broadway

Those still itching to taste Pompei Pizza on the North Side are now in luck: Pompeii Express just opened in East Lakeview.

The brother of Ralph Davino—president of Pompei’s two other locations—owns the rebranded restaurant at 2931 N. Broadway St. Davino sold the Lake View location to DMK Burger Bar owner David Morton in 2004 before it closed. 

Formerly home to Kluck-U, Pompeii Express is serving up a limited number of items from Pompei’s popular menu. For example, diners can buy four different flavors of pizza as a medium pan, large or by the slice. Large-scale orders, like Pompei’s 10-person pizzas, fall under the new restaurant’s catering menu, which offers more flavors.

In addition, Pompeii Express is pushing its extensive menu of Struzone, with more than twice as menu combinations compared to pizza. Referred to as Pizza Strudel on Pompei’s menu, the calzone-style dish comes in combinations like barbeque beef and sausage ricotta.

When interviewed by Patch in March, Ralph Davino said he was interested in one day opening another Lake View location, but it was a preliminary idea at the time.

The former location on Sheffield is still undergoing construction for the new concept City Dough. While the website has since been redesigned to simply say “Coming Soon,” the former website said it would be a fast-casual Italian-American restaurant and bakery.

“Menu items will include focaccia-style pizza, pasta dishes with vegetables, meats and fish, soups and salads,” the website once read. “Additionally, there will be a bakery component. The bakery menu will include tiramisu, ricotta cheesecake, biscotti, danishes and other irresistible sweets. City Dough will have delivery service and catering options.”

Pompeii Express’ summer hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and closed on Mondays.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to clarify the Davino family's ownership of the Lake View Pompei before its closure.