Meet Ric Gruber of Bricks Wood Fired Pizza in Oak Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ric Gruber.

Ric, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My family started Bricks 15 years ago in Downtown Lombard, and as you may know, we are now in Wheaton, Naperville, Lombard-Highland Ave, Oak Park, Mount Prospect, West Dundee, we have Bricks on Wheels, and the first franchise just opened in Elgin.

Bill Wilson, my step-father, and I, had our first taste of wood-fired brick oven pizza during a vacation family vacation in San Diego, California. Eight years later, he could still vividly remember that experience. He found himself longing for the crispy, chewy crust, the taste, and aroma that can only come from a wood-fired brick oven.

Chicagoland was nearly devoid of any brick oven pizzerias at the time. With only a few places to get one in the city, he knew if he shared this type of pizza with others they were sure to love it, too. In order to do so, he had to get a brick oven here! After two years of research and development with design, recipes, techniques and constant encouragement from mom, myself, and my brother Ryan (a restaurant/bar architect and designer) the Bricks Wood Fired Pizza (now Billy Bricks) concept was born.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Restaurants are not unique to the challenges that all new, small businesses face, particularly as they grow and expand. But, they also include the challenges of running a restaurant(s) as well, making them a particularly difficult venture to anyone who isn’t passionate about them. As Bricks has gone from an 11 seat storefront, moved down the street in Downtown Lombard to a larger location, opened up a second, and then a third, and so forth, each time we expand in some way the business of running Billy Bricks changes. While the fundamentals stay the same – we must make great food and great experiences for our guests every time – our roles and operation are constantly evolving.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in thin-crust, (neo)Neapolitan-style pizza, baked in an authentic wood-fired, brick oven as the centerpiece of our open kitchens, along with fresh, made-to-order salads, gourmet soups and hearth-baked artisan sandwiches served in a casual, cafe atmosphere. While we are most known for our pizza, our sandwiches are the “ace up our sleeve” that our guests discover and fall in love with as they work their way through our menu.

We’re proud to say that our business is family owned and operated. As a lawyer, but also our original “sandwich guy”, my primary responsibility is on the structured growth and expansion of the Billy Bricks brand, as well as launching our new company-owned stores. My step-father, since the first store was founded has been the Operating Principal, my mother Donna is the de facto CFO, my brother Ryan designs our stores, whenever free from her responsibilities as a teacher my wife works at stores with me and on our truck (Bricks on Wheels), and my sister-in-law now works at our newest location to ensure that there is always the family touch in communities just getting to know us. That’s also who we are looking for to open franchises, family owned operators so our family brand can become another family’s small business.

What were you like growing up?
BUSY. I loved our family dinners and get-togethers at my grandparents’ house where the entire family and neighborhood seemed to gather on a daily/weekly basis. Aside from family, my mother knew to keep me busy so I’d stay out of trouble! My grades were always terrific and school came easy, but I was frequently marked for distracting others with talking; not much has changed there. I always admitted what I had done while arguing my case for exoneration, frequently be referred to as a little lawyer. I was constantly involved in sports and I even went on to play Division 1 baseball on scholarship at Fairfield University in Connecticut prior to attending law school and becoming a licensed attorney in Illinois and California – I guess it was fate.

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