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St. Augustine, FL

Expanding operations with a food trailer to serve more customers and scale catering services.

• Mission: Bringing authentic Chicago-style pizza to St. Augustine, Florida, with a focus on handcrafted deep-dish and thin-crust pizzas made from fresh, high-quality ingredients.  
• Community Impact: Establishing a strong neighborhood presence with a welcoming atmosphere and a commitment to serving locals and visitors, supported by events and pop-ups.  
• Growth Strategy: Expanding operations with a food trailer to enhance delivery and off-site catering services, extending the restaurant’s reach to a broader audience.  
• Leadership: A family-owned, woman-led business founded by Chicago natives Hillary and Bruce Lake, bringing a taste of Chicago to the Sunshine State.  
• Innovation: Combining traditional Chicago pizza with local craft beer offerings, many sourced from Florida breweries, to create a unique culinary experience.  
• Sustainability: Focused on maintaining high standards of quality and community engagement, Hillary’s Chicago Pizza is committed to sustainable growth through strategic expansion.  

Hillary’s Chicago Pizza, based in St. Augustine, Florida, brings authentic Chicago-style deep-dish and thin-crust pizzas to the region. Founded by Chicago natives, the restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite, serving handcrafted pizzas made from scratch with fresh ingredients, alongside specialty sandwiches, salads, and desserts. The restaurant also features a wide selection of craft beers, focusing on local Florida brews. Having built a strong community presence through events and pop-ups, Hillary’s is now embarking on its next phase of growth.

The funds raised through this campaign will be utilized to purchase a food trailer and essential equipment to scale up delivery and off-site catering services. This expansion aims to extend the reach of Hillary’s Chicago Pizza to a wider audience, enabling the business to serve more customers while maintaining its commitment to quality and community engagement. This initiative reflects Hillary’s dedication to growth and innovation, supported by its loyal customer base and established reputation.

Company Info

Hillary’s Chicago Pizza serves authentic Chicago-style pizza and aims to expand with a mobile food trailer to reach more customers.

Hillary’s Chicago Pizza, located in St. Augustine, Florida, is a family-owned, woman-led business bringing authentic Chicago-style deep-dish and thin-crust pizza to the Sunshine State. Founded by Chicago natives Hillary and Bruce Lake, the pizzeria is known for its handcrafted pies featuring fresh ingredients and a signature cornmeal buttercrust. In addition to pizza, the menu offers specialty sandwiches, salads, desserts, and 24 craft beers, many of which highlight Florida brews. The restaurant provides a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere, making it a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

With plans to expand its reach, Hillary’s Chicago Pizza is seeking funding to purchase a food trailer and equipment, enabling off-site catering and mobile pizza delivery services. This marks the third successful fundraising effort by the business, which continues to grow thanks to its loyal community and commitment to high-quality offerings.