Imo's Pizza

Imo's Pizza is a regional American pizza restaurant chain headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded by Ed and Margie Imo in 1964, the business developed from the couple's recognition that St. Louis lacked a convenient pizza-delivery service. The first restaurant opened at the intersection of Thurman Avenue and Shaw Boulevard in the city's The Hill neighborhood. It was among the early carryout-and-delivery pizza parlors west of the Mississippi River. The brand is closely associated with St. Louis-style pizza. Its signature format uses an exceptionally thin, crisp crust, a relatively sweet tomato sauce, and Provel cheese, a processed cheese blend associated with the St. Louis market and generally made from cheddar, Swiss, and provolone. Rather than being cut into conventional triangular wedges, the pizza is typically divided into small square pieces. This combination gives Imo's a distinct regional identity and differentiates it from national chains built around thicker crusts or mozzarella-centered recipes. The Imos initially operated with very limited equipment. Ed continued working as a tile setter during the day while preparing pizzas in the evening, and Margie managed customer service and food preparation. Their early equipment included a used oven, two refrigerators, and a stove purchased for a small sum. The couple also worked with a local chef who introduced Provel in place of traditional mozzarella. As demand grew, Ed Imo sought a dependable source for the cheese and acquired Costa Grocery, which held St. Louis distribution rights for Provel. Imo's began opening additional locations within its first year and started franchising in 1979. By 1985, the chain had expanded to approximately 30 parlors across the St. Louis region. Over time, its menu broadened beyond pizza to include pasta, appetizers, submarine sandwiches, salads, chicken wings, and desserts, including some items prepared in a pizza oven. Pizza, however, remains the central product and the principal expression of the brand. The company describes its footprint as extending across Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, with more than 100 restaurants and stores reported as of 2020. In 2016, Imo's moved its corporate headquarters and distribution operations to a new downtown St. Louis facility containing a 72,000-square-foot warehouse and a 10,000-square-foot office. The move supported the chain's regional distribution and operating infrastructure while retaining its St. Louis base. Imo's positioning is rooted in local culinary distinctiveness rather than broad national scale. Its square-cut pizza, Provel cheese, thin crust, and connection to St. Louis food culture make the chain recognizable within its core market. The business combines company and franchise restaurant operations, delivery and carryout, and a wider casual dining menu. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current parent company, public listing, or a definitive current executive roster.

Imo's Pizza began in 1964 when Ed and Margie Imo opened a pizza parlor in St. Louis's The Hill neighborhood. The couple regularly ordered meat-topped pizzas from local Italian restaurants, but they had to collect the food themselves because the city did not yet have a developed pizza-delivery service. They saw an opportunity to combine pizza with delivery and carryout convenience and looked for a location near Thurman Avenue and Shaw Boulevard. The first restaurant operated with very limited resources. The Imos bought a used oven, two refrigerators, and a stove for $75. Ed continued his work as a tile setter during daytime hours and prepared pizzas in the evenings, while Margie handled customers and food preparation. The early operation even used a repurposed tackle box as a cash register. These circumstances contributed to a hands-on operating model that remained closely tied to the founders. A local chef helped shape the product that became the chain's defining feature. Instead of conventional mozzarella, the restaurant adopted Provel, a St. Louis-associated cheese blend combining cheddar, Swiss, and provolone. Provel melts at a relatively low temperature and produces a soft, gooey texture. Ed Imo later sought a stable local supply and acquired Costa Grocery, which controlled distribution rights for Provel in St. Louis. The restaurant also introduced its characteristic square-cut serving style, reinforcing a format that differed from the triangular slices common elsewhere in the United States. The first location gained enough demand that the company began establishing further locations within eight months. Imo's entered franchising in 1979, providing a mechanism for regional expansion beyond the founders' directly operated restaurants. By 1985, the chain had reached approximately 30 parlors throughout the St. Louis region. During its development, the menu expanded from its pizza base to include pasta, appetizers, submarine sandwiches, salads, and desserts. Some desserts and other menu items could be prepared in a pizza oven, allowing the restaurants to use their core kitchen equipment across a broader offering. Imo's growth remained geographically concentrated in the central United States. Reference material identifies restaurants and stores in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, with the St. Louis area continuing to function as the brand's cultural and operational center. Rather than presenting itself as a nationwide mass-market chain, Imo's built recognition through a local style of pizza that became strongly associated with St. Louis cuisine. The thin crust, sweet sauce, Provel cheese, and square pieces form an integrated product system rather than isolated menu features. In 2016, the company relocated its corporate headquarters and distribution operations to a new downtown St. Louis facility. The building included a 72,000-square-foot warehouse and a 10,000-square-foot office, indicating an investment in regional logistics as well as administration. By 2020, company information cited in the public reference material described the system as having more than 100 restaurants and stores across Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. Imo's Pizza remains best understood as a regional restaurant brand whose competitive identity rests on authenticity and recognition within the St. Louis market. Its history combines founder-led entrepreneurship, early delivery service, franchising, control of a key ingredient supply, and operational expansion. Public reference material does not provide a verified current executive list, ownership structure, or detailed post-2020 corporate developments, so those areas remain unspecified.

• 2020

  More than 100 restaurants and stores reported

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  Company information cited publicly reports a footprint of more than 100 restaurants and stores in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas.

• 2016

  Headquarters and distribution move downtown

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  Imo's relocates its corporate headquarters and distribution operations to a new downtown St. Louis facility.

• 1985

  Chain reaches approximately 30 parlors

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  The company expands to about 30 restaurants across the St. Louis region.

• 1979

  Franchising begins

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  Imo's Pizza starts franchising as a formal route for expanding its restaurant network.

• 1964

  First Imo's Pizza location opens in St. Louis

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  Ed and Margie Imo open the first restaurant at Thurman Avenue and Shaw Boulevard in the city's The Hill neighborhood.

• 1964

  Early adoption of the signature St. Louis-style format

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant develops its square-cut pizza format and adopts Provel cheese in place of traditional mozzarella.

• 1964

  Expansion begins within the first year

  [1]Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org

  The founders begin establishing additional locations within eight months of opening the original restaurant.

A regional pizza chain centered on St. Louis culinary identity, distinctive square-cut thin-crust pizza, Provel cheese, delivery, and carryout.

• Pizza · 1964

  St. Louis-style pizza

  Imo's signature pizza uses an exceptionally thin crust, a sweet tomato sauce, Provel cheese, and a square-cut presentation. The style is closely associated with St. Louis and serves as the core product around which the chain's regional identity is built.

• Pizza · 1964

  Provel cheese pizza

  This product line highlights Provel, a St. Louis-associated processed cheese blend made from cheddar, Swiss, and provolone. Its low melting point and soft texture distinguish Imo's pizza from products centered on conventional mozzarella.

• Side dishes

  Salads

  Salads broaden the menu beyond pizza and provide a lighter accompaniment within the chain's casual restaurant offering.

• Sandwiches

  Submarine sandwiches

  Submarine sandwiches form part of Imo's expanded savory menu and give customers an alternative to the restaurant's core pizza products.

• Prepared meals

  Pasta and appetizers

  Pasta and appetizers were added as the chain developed, allowing restaurants to serve a wider casual dining range alongside pizza.

• Desserts

  Desserts

  Imo's sells desserts, including items that can be prepared in a pizza oven. These products extend the restaurant occasion beyond the main meal.

• 2016

  Relocation of headquarters and distribution operationsStrategy

  Background

  The regional chain required expanded administrative and logistics capacity to support its restaurant and store network.

  Action taken

  Imo's moved its corporate headquarters and distribution operations to a downtown St. Louis facility with a 72,000-square-foot warehouse and a 10,000-square-foot office.

  Aftermath

  The relocation retained the company's St. Louis base while consolidating corporate and distribution functions in a larger facility.

  Source

• 1979

  Adoption of franchisingStrategy

  Background

  After expanding beyond its original restaurant and establishing additional locations, Imo's needed a scalable way to grow its regional network.

  Action taken

  The company began franchising its restaurants.

  Aftermath

  Franchising supported continued expansion, with the chain reaching approximately 30 parlors in the St. Louis region by 1985.

  Source

1. 1Imo's Pizzaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Imo's Pizza official websiteimospizza.com