Annunziata "Nancy" Palese has been Inducted into the Prestigious Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry
Press Release August 27, 2021
Ms. Palese and her husband grew a small family operation into a nationally franchised business.
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NILES, IL, August 27, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Annunziata "Nancy" Palese has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Coming of age in Turin, Italy, Ms. Palese and her husband Rocco Palese spent most of their adult lives making and perfecting pizza. In 1969, they immigrated to the United States with their three children and eventually opened their first pizza parlor, Guy's Pizza, in Chicago. Mr. Rocco Palese soon introduced his own unique pizza based on his mother's recipe for scarciedda, an Easter specialty pie. Shortly after this introduction, the business became known for the new stuffed pizza.

Following the smashing success of Guy's Pizza, Ms. Palese and Mr. Rocco, her husband, opened a new restaurant in Harwood Heights, Illinois, Nancy's Pizzeria. The new location originally had a capacity of 35 people, but within six months, they needed to begin a series of renovations in order to increase restaurant capacity to 140 people. In 1975, Nancy's was recognized as the Best Pizza in Chicago by Chicago Magazine.

For several years, the Palese's family restaurant gained much recognition, which led to the opening of another location. In 1977, they partnered with Dave Howey to open a location in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Following this accomplishment, they sold the original location in order to finance a larger location in 1978. The Palese family went on to open several other locations.

By 1990, the Palese family's relationship with Mr. Howey had strengthened considerably, which led him to purchase the "Nancy's" name. He established the first Nancy's Pizza Express in Tinley Park, Illinois, and eventually developed a franchise business system. Presently, the Nancy's franchise is marketed on a local and national level. Currently, Ms. Palese and one of her daughters remains active, collaborating on publicity and marketing techniques.

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