New Lenox MOD Pizza Closes Permanently

NEW LENOX, IL — MOD Pizza in New Lenox shuttered Wednesday, just more than a month after the troubled fast-casual chain's parent company was sold. The New Lenox location, 651 E. Lincoln Hwy, opened in 2019.

The Bellevue, Washington-based MOD was acquired by Elite Restaurant Group, based in California. The sale came after talk of closures and bankruptcy.

Founded in 2008 in Seattle, MOD operates eateries in Canada and 28 states, with Texas tallying the most at 113 location. The chain is built around a customizable personal pizza concept and offers over 40 toppings.

Illinois is mapped as having 20 locations; the New Lenox one has already been removed from the list on the company's website.

As of July, the chain had closed 44 locations so far in 2024, according to Restaurant Business, which reported that MOD’s buyer, Elite, is “a collector of financially troubled restaurant brands.”

It's unclear how many locations—other than that in New Lenox—have closed since the sale.

"MOD has an outstanding culture and passionate, loyal guests and employees," Elite Restaurant Group President Michael Nakhleh said last month, of the acquisition. "We recognize the inherent value this represents and look forward to helping MOD write the next chapter in its history."