The year was 1964, Ed and Margie Imo, a young couple with dreams of buying a home for the family, just opened a pizza parlor in The Hill neighborhood. It wasn’t too long before their name and square-cut pies would become synonymous with St. Louis traditions and pizza history.
Devoted Catholics, the Imo family would wait until 11:30 pm every Friday to order a meat-topped pizza from one of the many Italian restaurants near their home. After years of picking up their pizzas after midnight, they asked themselves, “Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would deliver the pizza to us?” Their thought would soon revolutionize the pizza industry.
An Idea Sparks a Phenomenon
Knowing they had something special, the couple took five years to save up $1,500 and opened their first parlor on the corner of Thurman and Shaw. With no retail background, and no formal culinary training, the couple was ignited by their entrepreneurial spirit and determination.
In the beginning, their first kitchen consisted of a used oven, two refrigerators, and a stove that they purchased for $75. Ed continued to work as a tile setter slicing squares of linoleum by day and pizza by night. Margie answered the phones, prepped salads into cups, and worked the cash register - an old tackle box they repurposed. To keep up with all the orders, they enlisted Margie’s brother to make all the deliveries. Lastly, they hired a chef from the neighborhood to cook the pizzas who, unbeknownst to them, would incorporate an ingredient that would be forever ingrained into the identity of their brand.
A Provel-ution!
In place of the Mozzarella cheese traditionally layered on South St. Louis-style pizza, their new chef chose to use Provel® cheese. It was a hot success! Soon they were pumping out so many pizzas that they needed to find more of the cheesy ingredient.
Unable to find a reliable distributor, word quickly got around town that they were looking. One day a gentleman named Mr. John showed up to their parlor with a block of Provel® cheese in the trunk of his car. Unable to pay him for the first block, he gave them the Provel® cheese on loan the first week. The following week they paid him back, and Mr. John returned every week for the next three years until his death.
Their demand for Provel® cheese rapidly grew, and they needed to find a steady supply. Knowing Costa Grocery held the only rights to distribute Provel® cheese in St. Louis, Ed Imo offered to buy the business. The owner agreed to sell, and their cheesy dilemma was solved.
Throughout the Years
Eight months into opening their first parlor, Ed and Margie’s friends asked if they could open a second location for them. That was only the beginning. Soon the couple had stores everywhere, reaching 30 parlors across the St. Louis region by 1985. At that point the family decided to open the brand up to franchising.
As time went on, their menu expanded to include pasta, appetizers, sandwiches, and desserts. Their product lineup was not the only thing to grew over the years; their fanbase reached a new level. Soon the family was packaging and shipping their St. Louis-style pizza, Toasted Ravioli, and Provel Bites across the country to their loyal customers.
What's Next
The children of Ed and Margie are now running the day-to-day operations of Imo’s, and they are poised to expand the brand’s footprint across the Midwest in the next few years. In 2016, the company relocated its headquarters and franchise operation to a new 72,000 square foot warehouse, and 10,000 square foot office in downtown St. Louis.
With more than 100 stores and franchises in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas the Imo’s family has never resisted change. From popularizing delivery to creating a nationwide Provel® cheese following, their philosophy of making every customer feel comfortable and welcome has propelled the brand from just a pizza parlor into a tradition; making us the Square Beyond Compare®!
Imo's® Timeline
1963
University of Missouri - St. Louis Opens
St. Louis Zoo Train & Planetarium in Forest Park opens to the public
1964
Imo's® is Founded
The first Imo’s® opens in the Shaw neighborhood just a couple miles east of The Hill proper.
St. Louis Bicentennial
Cardinals win the World Series against the New York Yankees
1965
Imo's® Opens Second Location
Gateway Arch is Erected
1966
Busch Stadium is Built & Completed
Last Street Car Line Disappears
1970
Ralston Purina Tower is Completed
1974
Imo's Delivery is Famous
The Post Dispatch proclaims Imo’s the “hands outstretched” winner of delivery.
Eads Bridge Railroad tracks are closed
1976
America's Bicentennial
1981
First VP Fair takes place on the Riverfront
1982
Cardinals win the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers
1985
Imo’s Opens Franchises
Imo’s® opens 30th store in the Greater St. Louis region and opens up to franchises.
Imo’s Ditches the Paper Bag!
Imo’s® discontinues their original paper delivery bag.
1987
NFL Cardinals Team Leaves St. Louis
1990
Imo’s® Egg-Ceptional Pizza is Invented
They said “eggs on a pizza?!” We said, mmm...
1993
The Metro Link Opens
The Great Flood on 1993 hits St. Louis
1995
The Rams leave Los Angeles for St. Louis
2000
The St. Louis Rams win the Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans
2006
Cardinals win the World Series against the Detroit Tigers
2011
First Torry Holt Commercial
Cardinals win the World Series against the Texas Rangers
2012
First David Freese Commercial
Imo’s releases their first commercial featuring World Series hero and hometown superstar David Freese.
2014
April 8th Proclaimed “Imo’s Day!”
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Imo’s, former St. Louis Mayor Slay proclaims April 8th as “Imo’s® Day.”
2015
Imo’s Reaches 100 Stores!
The “Original St. Louis-Style Pizza” reaches 100 stores in Missouri and Illinois.
Imo’s Moves Downtown
Imo’s builds a new headquarters & distribution center in downtown St. Louis.
2018
First Jayson Tatum Commercial
Imo’s releases their first commercial featuring NBA star and hometown basketball standout Jayson Tatum.
2019
Imo’s® Guy Goes Viral
Imo’s Guy makes his debut in San Jose during Game 2 of the NHL Conference Finals, St. Louis Blues vs. Sharks.
