{{Short description|American pizzeria company}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox company | name = Pizza Lucé | logo = Pizza Lucé logo.png | logo_size = 200px | caption = | type = | foundation = {{plainlist| *Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States *1993 }} | founder = Joe Baier | location_city = | location_country = | locations = {{plainlist| *9: *Downtown Minneapolis, MN *Uptown Minneapolis, MN *Eden Prairie, MN *Duluth, MN *Hopkins, MN *Richfield, MN *Roseville, MN *Seward, Minneapolis, MN *Saint Paul, MN }} | area_served = | key_people = | industry = Pizzeria | products = | revenue = | owner = | num_employees = | homepage = {{URL|https://pizzaluce.com/}} }}
'''Pizza Lucé''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː|tʃ|eɪ|audio=en-us-Lucé.ogg}}) is a pizzeria restaurant company in Minnesota with locations in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area and Duluth. Pizza Lucé was founded in 1993.
==History== thumb|left|One of the restaurant's vegan pizzas|alt=A medium pizza covered in vegetables on a wooden table Pizza Lucé owner Joe Baier worked in pizza delivery until the pizzeria he worked at closed in 1992. Having worked for years in the industry, Baier decided to open a new pizza restaurant, named Pizza Lucé, which opened in 1993 in downtown Minneapolis. It was not initially profitable and in 1995, Scott Nelson, who had worked previously alongside Baier as a pizza deliverer, was hired as the pizzeria's General Manager helped ensure that the restaurant became profitable.<ref name=Handbook-History>{{cite book|title=Pizza Lucé Employee's Handbook|year=2010|publisher=Pizza Lucé|pages=3, 17|url=http://pizzaluce.com/downloads/071410handbook.pdf}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019}}</ref> The pizzeria includes gluten-free and vegan items on its menu.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Pizza Lucé|journal=Pizza Today|year=2009|volume=27|issue=7–12|pages=64–65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2R8tAQAAMAAJ&q=Pizza+Luc%C3%A9}}</ref>
Pizza Lucé has since expanded to nine locations in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area and one in Duluth.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lawler|first=Christa|title=Luce's Pesto Benedict is dripping with happiness|url=http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/110164/|newspaper=Duluth News Tribune|date=January 22, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130121173047/http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/110164/|archivedate=January 21, 2013}}</ref> In 2010, the pizzeria began offering online ordering and within a year over 20% of its delivery orders were placed via the Internet.<ref>{{cite news|last=Butler|first=Cherryh A.|title=Small chains get online with online ordering|url=http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/182595/Small-chains-get-online-with-online-ordering|newspaper=Pizza Marketplace|date=July 14, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103122401/http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/182595/Small-chains-get-online-with-online-ordering|archivedate=January 3, 2012}}</ref> Lucé was named 2011's Restaurant of the Year by the Minnesota Restaurant Association.<ref>{{cite news|title=Top 100 Movers & Shakers, No. 55: Pizza Luce|url=http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/201743/PizzaMarketplace-com-Top-100-Movers-Shakers-No-55-Pizza-Luce|newspaper=Pizza Marketplace|date=October 10, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130131102939/http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/201743/PizzaMarketplace-com-Top-100-Movers-Shakers-No-55-Pizza-Luce|archivedate=January 31, 2013}}</ref>
==Culture==
Due to Pizza Lucé's practice of allowing workers to return to their jobs after touring with their bands, their employees have included band members from groups such as Cadillac Blindside and Clair De Lune as well as Jesse Johnson and Joshua Cain from Motion City Soundtrack.<ref>{{cite book|last=Simon|first=Leslie|title=Wish You Were Here: An Essential Guide to Your Favorite Music Scenes—from Punk to Indie and Everything in Between|year=2009|publisher=Harper|location=New York|isbn=978-0-06-157371-2|pages=235–236|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oXSLfW8se6IC&dq=Pizza%20Luc%C3%A9&pg=PA236|edition=1st}}</ref>
Since 2003, Pizza Lucé has hosted an annual block party in Minneapolis, originally on the corner of Lyndale Avenue and 32nd Street, featuring artists including Brother Ali and P.O.S.<ref>{{cite news|last=Swensson|first=Andrea|title=Pizza Luce Block Party 2011 set times|url=http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2011/08/pizza_luce_bloc_4.php|newspaper=City Pages|date=August 10, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120222750/http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2011/08/pizza_luce_bloc_4.php|archivedate=November 20, 2012}}</ref> The 2012 block party was cancelled and the organizers sought a larger venue for future years.<ref>{{cite news|last=Swensson|first=Andrea|title=Pizza Luce Block Party canceled for 2012.|url=http://blog.thecurrent.org/post/2012/04/pizza-luce-block-party-canceled-2012|newspaper=89.3 The Current|date=April 12, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414235729/http://blog.thecurrent.org/post/2012/04/pizza-luce-block-party-canceled-2012|archivedate=April 14, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pizza Lucé Block Party Cancelled, Looking For New Locale|url=http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/04/13/pizza-luce-block-party-cancelled-looking-for-new-locale/|newspaper=CBS Minnesota|date=April 13, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, the block party was moved to the Downtown Minneapolis warehouse district location.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://pizzaluce.com/ Official website of Pizza Lucé] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130606071950/http://luceblockparty.com/ Pizza Lucé Block Party website]
{{portal bar|Companies}}
{{coord|44|58|54.1|N|93|16|25.2|W|type:landmark_region:US-MN|display=title}}
{{Restaurants in Minnesota}}
Category:Pizzerias in the United States Category:Restaurants established in 1993 Category:Restaurants in Minnesota Category:1993 establishments in Minnesota