March 23, 2021 - What We Stand For
Our Interview with John Durning of Pizzeria DeVille in Libertyville, IL
What’s your first memory of eating pizza?
John: Vinnie’s Pizzeria in Scarsdale, NY. It’s been closed for decades and a recent mention of Vinnie’s on a Growing Up In Scarsdale [Facebook post] elicited more than 300 comments from pizza adoring locals.
Why did you decide to get into the pizza business?
John: [Pizza is] my favorite thing. Always has been. I’ve made pizza at home since junior high school and got serious about it in my late twenties. Finally, I got so serious about it that I quit my job as a commercial banker and opened Pizzeria DeVille in Libertyville because they needed to know about the pizza they were missing out on!
You give back A LOT to the community. Why is that important to you?
John: When I left my very comfortable job, one of the goals my wife and I set out to achieve was that whatever we did in business, win or lose, it had to be done by setting good examples for our children to emulate. This included a strong work ethic, fortitude and dedication, loyalty to our staff, friends, and family, and giving back to others. All three of my now adult children have worked at my restaurant and food truck and learned their lessons well. They are motivated, self-reliant young adults who care about others around them and stay in touch with us, their parents. I couldn’t be more proud of them.
What advice do you have for a pizzeria owner who wants to give back but doesn’t know where to start?
John: For me, it was about looking at our local community and identifying those who were most in need. My place is in an affluent suburb of Chicago but we still see local homelessness. I had volunteered in years past as an overnight helper at local PADS shelters before opening the restaurant and have always been floored by the amount of need that exists all around us. Immediately upon opening, we identified these local shelters as groups we wanted to work with. Since that time we’ve worked with financially disadvantaged groups, those with housing and food needs, adults and children with developmental challenges and so many more. It just blossomed because it felt good to me and my staff. A little over three years ago we took in a local homeless woman who we had gotten to know a little more closely. She suffers from anxiety and other emotional/psychological challenges but was always kind and approachable to us. I invited her to come stay in the restaurant overnight as my “night watch person,” though I have a very reliable alarm system and operate in a very safe area. After considering it and the temperature outside, she came in to have a hot dinner and made herself a bed along our church pew benches. That was in October of 2017 and she is still with us. I think you just have to dig into your local [community] and determine what non-profits you want to serve and then make the time to do it.
Why do your customers love Pizzeria Deville?
John: They love us because we have unique pizzas and a passion for what we do. They love us because they know what we stand for and that we are willing to put our reputation and strength behind those who need it most. They know we will take a stand for those who would be marginalized by others and that we will do so loudly. They love us because they know how much we love them and how that has always been a part of working at Pizzeria DeVille. I believe that this is why Pizzeria DeVille was awarded the Business of the Year Award by our local Mainstreet Organization after only our third year of operation; because we care.