Full Circle Pizza; Windy City Flavor Blows into New Tampa

Full Circle Pizza & Grill serves pizza inspired by the Windy City, but don’t expect a pie up to 3-inches high or one stuffed with ingredients.

“People hear Chicago and think it’s all deep dish,” owner and New Tampa resident Ron Chase said.

But, in fact, that’s a common misconception. Thin-crust pizza is quite popular in Chicago, Chase said, and has a certain style all its own: very thin with a crisp crust and cut into small squares rather than triangles.

Formerly of Chi-Town, Chase opened the eatery in June after spending 25 years in software sales.

“Let’s just say it’s something I always wanted to do,” the “young 50-plus” said of his career change.

Chase, who did much traveling in his last position and therefore sampled a host of cuisines and restaurants, has an apparently deep respect for good food. In a conversation with a reporter, Chase touched on everything from Maryland crab cakes and New York City-style pizza to Asian and Mexican grub.

“Good food doesn’t have to be expensive,” he said.

To that end, Full Circle seeks to offer quality food at good prices. This is not about serving food quickly.

“I don’t guarantee your pizza is out in four minutes; I guarantee it’ll be the best,” said Chase, who uses bottled rather than tap water in his recipes.

In addition to pizza, Full Circle serves appetizers such as garlic knots (“They’re pretty tremendous,” Chase says), salads, burgers, sandwiches and pasta. There are lunch specials and a kids menu, plus beer and wine, as well.

The fresh Italian sausage is a pizza-topping hit and Windy City transplants often eye the Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich, Chase said. The meat is sliced thin, warmed in its own gravy and served on a Turano brand roll with hot pickled vegetables or sautéed peppers. 

“It’s something we grew up with in Chicago,” he said. “Man, we miss it.”

Former Chicago residents Kate and George — they declined to give their last names — stopped by Full Circle on a recent Tuesday. They left happy.

“We had the pizza — it was great,” Kate said. “Nobody has Chicago-style” pizza around here.

Just three months into a soft opening, Chase said business is going quite well. But he said he must remain diligent as a restaurant newcomer.

“In this environment with corporate competition, you can’t afford to miss on anything,” Chase said, citing food, food cost and customer service. “You got to hit all the time on all cylinders.”

More Information

Address: 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (Pebble Creek Collection Plaza)
Phone: 813-994-3700
Email: fullcirclepizzaandgrill@gmail.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Web: Full Circle Pizza & Grill