Milly’s Pizza In The Pan Owner Opening Jake’s Place, A Thin-Crust Spot, In North Center

NORTH CENTER — Over the past six years, Robert Maleski has become known throughout Chicago for his caramelized pan pizzas. Now, he s trying something completely different. Maleski, who founded Milly s Pizza in The Pan in 2020, is launching a thin-crust, square-cut pizzeria in North Center. Named Jake s Place — after Maleski s 1-year-old son — the restaurant will be located in the old Armand s Pizzeria at 4159 N. Western Ave., which closed last summer. Maleski said the restaurant s interior shouldn t take too much renovation since it already has a kitchen and dining area. He plans on opening in early December. The pizza at Jake s Place will be the exact opposite of what we make at Milly s with a crust that s crispy and as thin as a cracker, Maleski said. I really want to challenge myself to see if I can hold my own with some of the best thin-crust pizza places in the city, he said. I want to keep growing as a pizza maker. Robert Maleski, owner, shows off a sli