Orland Park Man Bought a Pizza Place for His Daughter. What It Became Is Bigger Than Business

John Skopick wasn’t looking for a business opportunity. He didn’t need to. What he was really looking for was something bigger.

A longtime State Farm agent in Orland Park, Skopick had a daughter who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Over the years, she found purpose working at a friend’s pizza shop during high school. “We knew it was something she could do adaptively,” Skopick said. “Answer the phones, help manage.”

He also knew college likely wasn’t in the cards. “It just wasn’t going to be the route for her, with some of the mental holes and obviously the physical,” he said.

So in 2020, when Skopick heard through a mutual friend that the longtime owner of Pizza Pete, a Southland institution since 1967, was planning to retire, he reached out. “He was a retired Orland Park police officer and just a great guy. And I thought, maybe this is something that could really fit.”

It did. But not just for his daughter.

From the start, Skopick and his wife, who owns a home healthcare company, weren’t concerned with turning a profit. “It wasn’t about that,” he said. “We wanted to set her up with a purpose and a place to be. And we wanted to use our experience of having a special needs child to give back.”

Since taking over Pizza Pete, Skopick has done exactly that; giving away nearly $50,000 in profits to charities and families in need last year alone. Every Tuesday, the shop runs “Pizza with a Purpose,” donating 25 percent of proceeds to a different nonprofit or family facing hardship.

“We just try to do something positive every week,” Skopick said. “Whether it’s a local kid who needs a wheelchair or a family going through cancer treatment.”

During COVID and throughout that year, Pizza Pete donated food to local police and fire departments as a gesture of appreciation.

He also made sure the community felt welcomed. “We brought in TVs, added seating, changed the menu. We didn’t want it to feel like a carryout joint anymore. We wanted people to come in and feel like they’re part of something.”

In 2021, the Skopicks opened a second location in Frankfort. “We saw an opportunity and just kind of went for it,” he said. “And we’ve been blessed. Both stores are doing well. We’re just trying to stay consistent and be good community partners.”

Though that expansion and in striving for that consistency, one of the things that keeps him going is the feedback. “We’ve had parents come in and say, ‘My kid never felt like they could work anywhere until they saw what you’re doing.’ That makes it all worth it.”

The challenges are real. Skopick admits the restaurant business is not for the faint of heart. “It’s hard. It’s long hours. But it’s also been incredibly fulfilling.”

He also made clear that none of this works without his team. “We’ve got amazing managers who support our mission,” he said. “And our customers; they really get it. They know what we’re about.”

As for what’s next, Skopick doesn’t have grand expansion plans. “We’re not looking to franchise or blow up into some giant chain,” he said. “We just want to keep being a place where people feel good coming in. Where the food is good and the heart behind it is real.”

He also wants to continue being a model. “If we can inspire just one other business owner to hire someone with special needs or give back a little more, that’s a win.”

Asked what he’s most proud of, Skopick didn’t hesitate to point out his daughter.

“She’s confident. She’s got purpose. That’s what this was all about from the beginning.”

And from the look of things, it still is.

About the Southland Development Authority (SDA)

The Southland Development Authority is a nonprofit business organization launched in 2019 by business, civic, and political leaders from around the Southland who recognize the potential of the region’s people, businesses, and real estate. Our mission is to bring the resources and capacity needed to achieve transformative, inclusive economic growth for the south suburbs with a focus on investments in the Southland’s communities, industry, housing, and workforce.