Aurelio’s Creates Pizza to Honor Pope Leo XIV

When Dolton-native Robert Francis Prevost was named as the new Pope in May, Joe Aurelio saw an opportunity to honor one of their favorite customers. Pope Leo XIV had enjoyed a few pizzas from the flagship Aurelio’s Pizza Homewood location over the years and had been at the restaurant as recently as the summer of 2024.

Aurelio placed photos of Pope Leo near the table he had dined at most recently and designated it as “The Pope’s Table.” Just a few steps away, Aurelio pointed out the exact spot where the Pope stood for a photo in the dining room. He also decided to put a new pizza on the menu and named it the Poperoni™ Pizza.

The pizza is a little different than the traditional pepperoni pizza that has been on the menu for decades. In addition to the standard pepperoni, it has the addition of a layer of cupped pepperoni, which adds an extra crunch and a bit of heat.

Long before Aurelio’s became the iconic national pizza chain it is, it started with a small storefront in downtown Homewood in 1959 where the Italian beef outsold the thin-crust, square-sliced pizza. The first two franchises opened in 1974 and today there are 35 locations across the country. 

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