Most people may think of pizza first when they contemplate Chicago cuisine, but when the first Aurelio's Pizza opened in a Chicago suburb in 1959, it wasn't the pizza that was driving business. It was another iconic Chicago dish—the Italian-beef sandwich.

The owner, Joe, knew he had to make a few tweaks to succeed, so he changed up the dough and sauce recipes and began crowning his pies with fresh homemade Italian sausage. He also made his pizzas bigger than the industry standard and served them on a special grill that maintained the pizzas' crisp crust. As a result, he saw his business grow and expand, and now there are Aurelio's locations all over the country. To this day, the company adheres to Joe's ideals, continuing to serve monstrous thin-crust pies on special grills, as well as those famed Italian-beef sandwiches.