Expand / Collapse search
☰

Deep dish Chicago style pizza in downtown Tampa

By
Published  December 21, 2025 12:19pm EST
Tampa
FOX 13 News
Tampa Pizza Company

Tampa Pizza Company

Meeting the Khouri family who opened the Tampa Pizza Company. FOX 13's Jason Wright has more.

The Brief

    • Natives of Chicago moved to Tampa because of the weather, but they brought deep dish pizza with them.
    • The Khouri family opened Tampa Pizza Company to create a piece of Chicago right here in downtown Tampa.
    • Everything on the menu is baked for better flavor and a healthier outcome for the customer.

TAMPA - Bringing people together is a part of the plan behind the pizzeria on Ashley Drive. The Tampa Pizza Company escaped the cold of Chicago for the warmer climate of Tampa Bay to bring the deep dish flavors of Chicago Pizza to the Sunshine State.

What they're saying:

"Tampa Pizza is a family-owned pizzeria but also a restaurant... really, we have something for everyone here," stated Tonia Khouri.

She and her husband own the restaurant which they opened after moving here from Chicago.

"Tampa is a great city.  The people are wonderful here. We love it here," she said, gushing about the region, "We chose Tampa because it is a growing city and the people are wonderful."

It helps that the weather is in the 70s during the day and people can enjoy their outdoor seating while having a slice for lunch.

"We brought Chicago-style pizza here to Tampa. It's very thick, deep dish," she said, describing the typical slice. "It's wonderful for a quick lunch or a quick dinner. And it's really just one slice is all you need, it's a whole meal."

Chicago Style Deep dish pizza

Khouri's family is all in on this business as it is a true family restaurant.

"We're family-owned, our two sons work with us and our employees are like our family," she said.

Their creations include pop culture references, like the Ricky Bobby, which is an Alabama White Sauce pizza with a cheese blend, shredded chicken, diced tomato and Parmesan. And, yes, they reference "Shake and Bake" on the menu.

READ: Bradenton drag race honors NASCAR driver Greg Biffle after deadly plane crash

"Everything on our menu is baked, not fried," said Khouri, "So people love our wings 'cause it's a healthy alternative, It's really gourmet food but in a comfortable, non-putting-off atmosphere."

The wings are baked, not fried

What you can do:

To try out Tampa Pizza Company for yourself, they are located at 777 North Ashley Drive in Suite C. Their business front is on Zack Street. 

"We have indoor and lots of outdoor seating," said Khouri, "We are centrally located in downtown Tampa right across from the Riverwalk."

You can click here to find their menu and hours.

The Source: This story was written based on the in-person interviews at Tampa Pizza Company.

TampaFood and DrinkHillsborough County