Lantern Pizza Co.
Lantern Pizza Co. is a family-owned Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria in Downers Grove, Illinois, serving handcrafted 12-inch pizzas with house-made dough, sauce, and cheese baked in a 700-degree brick oven. The single-location restaurant offers dine-in, pickup, catering, and a dedicated gluten-free preparation system for celiac-safe pizza.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDowners Grove, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lantern Pizza Co. does
Lantern Pizza Co. is a family-owned Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria operating from a single location at 1420 Ogden Ave in Downers Grove, Illinois, serving the Chicagoland suburbs. The company was founded by Chef Dan Coudreaut, a Culinary Institute of America graduate (class of 1995, top of class) with 40+ years in hospitality including executive roles at McDonald's, alongside his wife Kim Coudreaut, who brings 30 years of hospitality experience from five-star hotels including Four Seasons Resort & Club. The restaurant employs approximately 12 people and operates a limited schedule (Wed–Sun, closed Mon–Tue).
The core product is a 12-inch handcrafted pizza baked in a 700-degree brick oven dubbed "The Lantern." All dough, sauce, and mozzarella are made in-house daily using USA-sourced flour and Wisconsin cheese curds. The company has invested in a dedicated gluten-free preparation system — comprising a separate mixer, refrigerated make station, dedicated oven, and color-coded tools — to serve celiac and gluten-sensitive customers safely. A secondary Sicilian-style catering line (18"x12" trays) supports group orders with Take & Bake options. Merchandise (branded goods) is also sold alongside limited beer, wine, and Prosecco service for dine-in.
Lantern operates as a direct-to-consumer business with three revenue streams: dine-in, online pickup ordering via the ToastTab platform (no delivery offered), and direct catering sales (phone/email, with a 15% gratuity). Standard pizzas price from $13 (cheese) to $21 (specialty); gluten-free crusts add $3; catering trays price from $30 to $45. The marketing mix is heavily weighted toward earned media — features on ABC's Cooking Up a Storm, NBC Chicago's "The Food Guy," Fox News at Noon, the Daily Herald, and Nations Restaurant News — supported by an Instagram presence and select podcast appearances. No third-party delivery, no franchising, and no additional locations are evident in the data.
Lantern Pizza Co. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lantern Pizza Co.
- Legal name
- Lantern Pizza Co.
- Website
- https://lanternpizza.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lantern Pizza Co. is a family-owned Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria in Downers Grove, Illinois, serving handcrafted 12-inch pizzas with house-made dough, sauce, and cheese baked in a 700-degree brick oven. The single-location restaurant offers dine-in, pickup, catering, and a dedicated gluten-free preparation system for celiac-safe pizza.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lantern Pizza Co. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Pizzeria / Casual Dining Restaurant
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pizza Fast Casual (THAFABAB)
Keywords
Where Lantern Pizza Co. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Downers Grove
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lantern Pizza Co. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Pizza Sales (Dine-in and Pickup): Primary revenue stream from selling handcrafted Neapolitan-inspired pizzas in various styles including build-your-own options, with prices ranging from $13 for cheese pizza to $21 for specialty pizzas. Both regular and gluten-free crust options available.
- Catering Services: Sicilian-style large party catering menu featuring 18"x12" pizzas serving 4-5 people, along with shareables like salads, bruschetta, garlic knots, and desserts. Includes take-and-bake options for convenience. 15% gratuity added to catering orders.
- Merchandise: Sale of Lantern Pizza Co. branded merchandise available at the restaurant and online ordering.
- Beverages: Fountain beverages (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Lemonade, Coke Zero), IBC Root Beer, Ice Tea, Sparkling Water, plus limited selection of Beer, Wine and Prosecco for dine-in service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Pizza Menu (12-inch Neapolitan-style) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gluten-Free Pizza Menu (12-inch) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering Menu - Sicilian Style (18"x12") |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers and Sides |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Lantern Pizza Co. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lantern Pizza Co. sells handcrafted 12-inch Neapolitan-inspired artisan pizzas baked in a 700-degree brick oven ("The Lantern"), made daily from in-house dough, sauce, and mozzarella. The menu includes specialty pizzas, build-your-own options, a parallel gluten-free line prepared with dedicated equipment to prevent cross-contamination, appetizers (garlic knots, bruschetta), desserts (Holy Cannoli), and branded merchandise. Sicilian-style 18"x12" catering pizzas and shareable sides are offered for large party orders, with take-and-bake convenience options.
Product overview
Lantern Pizza Co. is a Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria in Downers Grove, Illinois, offering handcrafted pizzas, appetizers, desserts, and catering services. The core product portfolio centers on 12-inch Neapolitan-style pizzas baked in a 700-degree brick oven, complemented by a dedicated gluten-free pizza line using Caputo Gluten Free Flour. Catering services feature Sicilian-style pizzas (18"x12") available as Take & Bake, along with shareable appetizers. Additional offerings include merchandise and a Build Your Own pizza customization option. The restaurant uses ToastTab for online ordering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Neapolitan-Style Pizzas
Quantifiable outcome
- Featured on ABC's Cooking Up a Storm (June 2026)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Lantern Pizza Co.
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lantern Pizza Co. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Lantern Pizza Co. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lantern Pizza Co. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lou Malnati's Pizzeria: Iconic Chicago deep-dish pizzeria with multiple suburban locations across Chicagoland including Downers Grove-area delivery. Comparable as a regional pizza operator competing for similar suburban family dining occasions, though with a fundamentally different product (deep-dish vs. Neapolitan).
- MOD Pizza: National fast-casual pizza chain specializing in customizable artisan-style pizzas. Comparable in fast-casual, build-your-own artisan pizza positioning, though operating at chain scale with centralized production and delivery partnerships.
- Blaze Pizza: National fast-casual build-your-own pizza chain. Comparable in fast-casual pizza format and build-your-own customization, though operating at vastly larger scale with an assembly-line production model rather than brick-oven artisan.
- Giordano's: Iconic Chicago stuffed-pizza chain with deep Chicagoland suburban presence. Comparable as an established Chicago pizza brand competing for the same family dining occasions in Downers Grove-adjacent suburbs, though with a different product format (stuffed vs. Neapolitan).
Direct peers
- Nonnina: Chicago Italian pizzeria/trattoria focusing on brick-oven artisan pizzas and Italian small plates. Comparable in chef-driven brick-oven pizza and casual Italian dining positioning within the Chicago market.
- Pizzeria Portofino: Chicago Riverwalk Neapolitan-inspired pizzeria serving thin-crust pizzas in a fast-casual setting. Comparable to Lantern in its Neapolitan-style pizza focus and casual dine-in positioning, though at a much larger downtown Chicago scale and tourist orientation.
- Piece Pizzeria & Brewery: Chicago artisan pizzeria serving New Haven-style and thin-crust pizzas in a casual dine-in setting with pickup. Comparable as a chef-driven, casual artisan pizzeria in the Chicago market competing for similar dining occasions.
Regional players
- Osteria Langhe: Chicago Italian-focused restaurant emphasizing artisanal preparation and Italian small plates. Comparable in the artisan, chef-driven Italian niche within the Chicagoland market, though more full-service trattoria in format.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lantern Pizza Co. social profiles
Digital presenceLantern Pizza Co. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lantern Pizza Co. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Lantern Pizza Co. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lantern Pizza Co. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lantern Pizza Co.
What does Lantern Pizza Co. do?
Lantern Pizza Co. sells handcrafted 12-inch Neapolitan-inspired artisan pizzas baked in a 700-degree brick oven ("The Lantern"), made daily from in-house dough, sauce, and mozzarella. The menu includes specialty pizzas, build-your-own options, a parallel gluten-free line prepared with dedicated equipment to prevent cross-contamination, appetizers (garlic knots, bruschetta), desserts (Holy Cannoli), and branded merchandise. Sicilian-style 18"x12" catering pizzas and shareable sides are offered for large party orders, with take-and-bake convenience options.
Is Lantern Pizza Co. a public or private company?
Lantern Pizza Co. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Lantern Pizza Co. founded?
Lantern Pizza Co. was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lantern Pizza Co. based?
Lantern Pizza Co. is headquartered in Downers Grove, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lantern Pizza Co. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Pizza Sales (Dine-in and Pickup) is the primary driver. The others are catering Services, merchandise and beverages.
Who are Lantern Pizza Co.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, MOD Pizza, Blaze Pizza and Giordano's. Direct peers are Nonnina, Pizzeria Portofino and Piece Pizzeria & Brewery. Osteria Langhe is listed as a regional player.
Does Lantern Pizza Co. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lantern Pizza Co..
What industry is Lantern Pizza Co. in?
Lantern Pizza Co.'s product category is Artisan Pizzeria / Casual Dining Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAB, Pizza Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.