Robert Francis Prevost , now officially known as Pope Leo XIV , recently made history as the first American to climb up to the Throne of Saint Peter — and in celebration of his Chicago root , a Windy City restaurant chain is honoring the new Roman Catholic Pope by naming a dish after him .
In an interview with9News Australia , Joe Aurelio , chairwoman of the Chicago - mode flimsy crust pizza restaurantAurelio ’s , says that Pope Leo is a fan of the chain . He stopped by the Homewood , Illinois , location when chitchat his family in August 2024 and dictate a pepperoni pizza . After he was elected read/write head of the Catholic Church on May 8 , 2025 , the local pizza parlor changed the dish ’s name to “ pope - erroni ” and even trademarked the novel moniker . The detail seems to have the same ingredients as the eating house ’s typical pepperoni pizza , so customers will be buying it for its holy name and ties to the Vatican .
Should he ever rejoin to Aurelio ’s when claver his hometown , Pope Leo will get the royal treatment . The Homewood position is now home to an “ official Pope ’s Table ” featuring a non-Christian priest ’s death chair make for in from a local church building .

Aurelio ’s is n’t the only Illinois - ground restaurant to observe Pope Leo XIV in such a way;TODAYshares that Portillo ’s , a restaurant cognise for its hot dogs and meat sandwich , beat the pizza parlor to the puncher . On May 9 , 2025 , the restaurant renamed its Italian beef cattle sandwich to “ The Leo ” for the difference of the month of May in solemnization of him . And there ’s something in the downtown Evanston area for Pope Leo fan with a sweet tooth . People can block up byBennison ’s Bakeryfor kale cookies topped with an edible photo of the religious loss leader . Onlineorders are available for those who ca n’t make it to buy the cookies in individual .
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