Chicago Company Discontinues Popular Brand of Frozen Pizza

A beloved, regionally popular frozen pizza brand is being discontinued by its Chicago-based parent company.

Conagra Brands revealed their intentions to discontinue Celeste frozen pizza, one of the many brands under their large umbrella. Conagra owns a plethora of recognizable food brands, including Marie Callender's meals, Birds Eye frozen vegetables, and even Hebrew National hot dogs, to name a few.

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Why Celeste Frozen Pizza Will Soon Be No More:

Also known as Mama Celeste's, Celeste Pizza is a popular frozen pizza; a staple in supermarket aisles across the country. Conagra CEO John Brase revealed their intention to discontinue the brand on September 30th, during their quarterly earnings call.

Brase said the decision was a move to focus on Conagra's "strongest opportunities:"

There are certain brands and categories where we simply just don't see a future. It just makes sense to exit those small, really unprofitable brands or low profit brands as soon as possible - Conagra CEO John Brase, per NBC 5 Chicago

Celeste Pizza has roots in Chicago going back 60 years as a frozen pizza and nearly 90 years as a local pizzeria. The original pizzeria was started by Celeste Lizio and her husband, who emigrated to the United States in the 1930s, and opened up a restaurant on the West Side of Chicago, per NBC 5 Chicago.

In 1969, the Quaker Oats Company acquired the business and expanded the national distribution of the frozen pizza brand while "Mama Celeste," as she became known, remained the public spokeswoman for the brand.

Find out more about the discontinuation of Celeste frozen pizza on NBC 5 Chicago's website.