Water Street opening of Midici Neapolitan Pizza is a win, win! Pizza fundraiser benefits the Naperville YMCA Strong Kids Campaign

Naperville, IL (June 20, 2018) - MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza Company, an authentic Neapolitan restaurant with a mission to bring friends together, has announced the grand opening at Water Street in downtown Naperville from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14, with a $3 Margherita pizza fundraiser with 100 percent of sales to benefit Naperville YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. The special is dine-in only; additional toppings are extra.

MidiCi features high quality, delicious wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas made with non-GMO dough and other Italian culinary delights including salads, burrata, signature desserts and local craft beer and wine. MidiCi is a unique dining experience that combines quality food with experience with affordability.

"Opening MidiCi at Water Street provides us with a great location to build our brand promise, to bring friends together over Neapolitan Pizza," said restaurant owner Valerie Insignares who owns the restaurant with her husband Eddie. "Our location on Water Street gives us prime outdoor seating along the Naperville's famed Riverwalk, as well as proximity to all that downtown Naperville has to offer. We think guests of Hotel Indigo and Naper Settlement will see us as a great addition to the neighborhood, with a family-friendly fast-fine menu and a great bar as well as outdoor seating on the Plaza for late night meet ups with friends."

Insignares has an extensive corporate restaurant background and was drawn to the opportunity to franchise MidiCi in the Chicago area.

Born on the Southside of Chicago, she recently returned to the Western suburbs with her husband and children. "Naperville is not only one of the strongest retail markets in the area, but I was drawn to the quality of life and the intentional nature that ensures a true community," she says. "In Italy, people gather on the piazza. In Naperville, you see people all along the Riverwalk, enjoying the connection to nature, the Water Street Plaza and fountain. That's the perfect setting for MidiCi - a place to gather with friends, whether it's inside under our live olive tree or among the coffee plants along the patio."

Insignares has traveled throughout Italy to dine and learn about local cuisine. "When I first had MidiCi pizza, it was the closest thing to authentic Italy I had tasted," she says. "That European model really informs our menu - fresh imported non-GMO ingredients, the Double Zero flour in our light, crisp crust, no sugar or preservatives. I'm looking forward to cracking our first wheel of imported Parmegiano Reggiano. Guests will taste the difference."

The restaurant goes so far as to import domed wood-fired ovens hand made by a third-generation Italian craftsman. The bar will feature a wide selection of wines and craft beers as well as specialty cocktails including a Classic Bellini, Negroni, Aperol Spritz, Lemoncello Sangria and an Antipasto Bloody Mary.

General manager Adam Bieranowski also brought his restaurant experience to Naperville along with his family.

"We chose to raise our family here, so to work in the community I love couldn't be better," he says. "I believe dining should be social, centered around family and friends. I really look forward to becoming a bigger part of the community by providing this great gathering place."

Proceeds from the grand opening will benefit the Naperville YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign, insuring that no child or family will be turned away from programs, camps and before- and after-school care through Fry Y, Kroehler Y and Safe 'n Sound.

The 2018 Naperville YMCA Summer Strong Kids Campaign is seeking to raise over $200,000 to provide assistance to Naperville area families in need.

"We are proud to partner with the Y, a local organization which has served Naperville families with youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for over 100 years," says Insignares. "It's a win-win. Guests can enjoy a wood-fired Margherita Neapolitan Pizza for just $3 and at the same time, you're giving back to the Y, which gives so much in return to our community."

The MidiCi donation to the Y will be matched dollar for dollar by another donor through the Strong Kids Campaign.

MidiCi serves traditional Neapolitan cuisine using fresh, natural, ingredients including making their non-GMO dough in house each day. Guest friends can select from traditional and signature menu options or create personalized Neapolitan pizzas in the open, center-staged bustling kitchen, also known as "the heart," all baked to perfection in imported Italian made wood-fired ovens.

Acclaimed Los Angeles-based restaurateurs Peppe Miele and Mario Vollera handcrafted the menu with authentic Italian offerings - from gourmet appetizers, artisan burratas, non-GMO quality salads, and authentic Neapolitan pizzas to a diverse selection of quality craft beers, wines and cocktails.

MidiCi provides pizza lovers with an upscale dining atmosphere, designed by acclaimed hotel and restaurant architect and designer Sam Marshall, while maintaining the ease and affordability of a casual restaurant concept. The space beckons guests to visit and make memories over a gourmet meal next to a signature indoor tree.

MidiCi invented and trademarked "fast-fine", fine dining made faster. MidiCi locations across the U.S. have amassed rave reviews and an average 4.5 out of 5-star rating on the acclaimed Yelp website consistently.

MidiCi Naperville is located at 135 Water St. on the Plaza in Downtown Naperville. It is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, follow on social media @MidiCi Naperville on Facebook and Instagram.

About MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza Company:

Established in 2015, MidiCi The Neapolitan Pizza Company is committed to providing pizza lovers with authentic Neapolitan Pizza served in an upscale dining atmosphere while maintaining the ease and affordability of a casual restaurant concept. Honoring the tradition, passion and art of Neapolitan Pizza-making the way it was invented over 300 years ago in Naples, Italy, MidiCi was designed to foster authentic human connections and reflect the brands philosophy of, "People are the best thing that can happen to anyone".

Pronounced Mee-Dee-Chee, MidiCi means, You tell me! in Italian, reflecting a double-entendre at the core of the concept: the value of people telling each other about their lives and fostering friendships, and the personalization approach to authentic Neapolitan Pizza. In addition to Neapolitan Pizza, MidiCi serves gourmet appetizers, burrata, salads, and desserts made from fresh, natural, almost all non-GMO ingredients along with fine beer, wine & cocktails in an open kitchen called "the Heart". The space beckons guests to visit and make memories over a gourmet meal next to a signature indoor live tree. MidiCi differentiates itself by providing an exceptionally unique intersection of gourmet quality food, friendly service, and inspiring ambience, all at a uniquely affordable price point. MidiCi invented and trademarked "fast-fine", fine dining quality made faster and affordable. It's the next generation of the fast-casual category, providing the same price points, while offering the quality and ambience of fine dining.

MidiCi has restaurants open in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. More information is available at www.mymidici.com.