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Back in the day , many of the original Home Run Inn ’ s biggest fans took fresh pizzas home to freeze for later . So , the company decided to give the people what they wanted , and began freezing a few pizzas , distributing them to neighborhood grocers , and spreading the word to loyal customers . The idea was a huge hit . What started as a novel idea turned into so much more . As the popularity of frozen pizza took off , Home Run Inn invested in its first manufacturing plant . Today , the company ’ s frozen pizzas are available nationwide and a second manufacturing facility was opened to keep up with demand .
Leveling up
Alongside its expanding manufacturing operations and the original pizzeria , the company boasts an additional eight locations in the Chicagoland area , offering everything from carry out pizzas to dining room specialty pizza and beer pairings . Food Chain is joined by Joe Carney , Senior Vice President of Operations , who shares insights into the future of this frozen favorite .
“ After the pandemic , we identified a new baseline for us from a manufacturing perspective . We never imagined that our facilities could produce what they did during that unprecedented time ,” he begins . “ As a result , we became confident that we could sustain this new level of production and through capital investment , training opportunities , and other efficiency or capacity improvements over the last year , we ’ ve been able to double our capacity . We ’ re unlocking the true potential of our employees , our equipment , and our processes , which is exciting to be a part of ,” he enthuses .
“ I ’ ve been in manufacturing now for almost 20 years ,” Joe continues . “ I started my career in leadership roles with very large consumer packaged goods . I ’ ve been fortunate to work in and across many facilities and witness the manufacturing process of a variety of foods . Joining Home Run Inn over a year ago was a great opportunity for me to leverage my experience . The company was committed to the process of achieving world class and that excited me very much .
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