Maria’s Pizza To Return Under New Owners
Area tavern owners have purchased the business, plan to reopen for takeout in January.
Site of Maria’s Pizza, 5025 W. Forest Home Ave. Photo taken Dec. 12, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
After a year-and-a-half hiatus, Maria’s Pizza is preparing to resume service on the South Side. The restaurant, 5025 W. Forest Home Ave., now under new ownership, could reopen as soon as January 2024, according to a license application.
For loyal fans — of which Maria’s Pizza has many — the big day can’t come soon enough. On June 26, 2022, the restaurant’s closing date, hundreds of customers waited in an hours-long line for a final slice of the restaurant’s signature cracker crust pizza. In the 18 months since, dozens have questioned the status of Maria’s and sought details about its return.
Now, the wait is almost over. Area tavern owners Brian and Jennifer Francis paid $300,000 for the business earlier this year, according to the license application. They plan to continue operating the beloved restaurant as-is, with just one new addition: a liquor license.
The couple, who also own Mulligan’s Irish Pub & Grill in Franklin, aim to reopen the restaurant on Jan. 1, or as soon as the licensing process is complete.
On the menu, guests can expect a familiar lineup of Italian favorites including more than a dozen varieties of pizza. The super-thin crust pies are available in 14-inch circles or larger rectangles. The restaurant will also serve appetizers such as breaded mushrooms and zucchini, jalapeno poppers and garlic bread; pastas including spaghetti and mostaccioli; as well as fried chicken, meatball sandwiches and a variety of salads.
Maria’s Pizza will operate as a service bar, meaning guests can order alcoholic beverages to be delivered to their table, but will not be able to sit at a bar.
In September, the couple told Milwaukee Magazine that they plan to offer carryout only to start. After they’ve adjusted to the new space, they will open the 2,950-square-foot dining room to guests. When the time comes, guests can look forward to the same red checkered tablecloths, quirky decor and other interior details from the Maria’s Pizza of yesteryear.
Maria’s Pizza had been around since 1957, when Maria Traxel first opened the restaurant in its original, southside location. The business later expanded to a second location, where it remains today. The original has since closed.
After Traxel’s passing, her daughter, Bonnie Crivello, inherited the business and ran it with her niece, Maria Story, until its closure.
After its reopening, the restaurant’s proposed hours of operation will be Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Brian Francis did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Update: An earlier version of this article said that the original Maria’s opened in the White Manor neighborhood.
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