History of BEACH BOX
Beach Box is proud to call the iconic former location of Ono and Jo’s Pizza House home.. Originally opened by Josie Rizzo in 1953 as a hamburger stand called the Beach Box, the location evolved into the beloved lakefront landmark known as Ono’s and served the community for over half a century. Today, we’ve come full circle by returning to our roots as the Beach Box. We’ve transformed this historic space into a funky, rock-n-roll, New Orleans-style dive bar that specializes in Cajun and Creole favorites, the best hot dogs in the Midwest, and good times.
Beach Box – The Origin Story
A Box is BornIn the 1930s there was a shack at the end of lake street that sold ICE COLD POP and SANDWICHES OF ALL KINDS (as seen in the picture). In the 1940s Pignotti’s grocery store moved in to a more permanent structure and gave it an address: 720 North Lake Street. Legendary author, Nelson Algren used to buy Schlitz there by the quart
THE ICON BEGINS
Hamburgers Give Way to PizzaIn 1952, Josie Rizzo and her sister bought the building at 720 North Lake Street in Gary’s Miller Beach neighborhood. In it, they opened a hamburger stand and sundries mart, called The Beach Box. Josie’s nephew, Onofrio began making pizzas at The Beach Box and soon the pizzas were more in demand than the hamburgers. Ono and Jo’s Pizza House was born, and pizzas would fly out the doors of 720 for more than fifty years. The place would reach icon status when Sam and Kathy Rizzo took over and created what would come to be known only as Ono’s.
BEACH BOX REBORN
A Brand-new Old Dive BarSo, we took the old name, Beach Box. We wanted to pay homage to everything this location has been, while looking forward to everything it is going to be. Our mission is to create a groovy and inclusive space for neighbors, strangers and travelers to come together and Let the Good Times Roll.