Machesney Park woman wins classic car in nationwide celebration of Rosati’s Pizza’s 60th anniversary
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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MACHESNEY PARK — The way Jeff Rosati sees it, the 1964 Chevy Imapla he drove to deliver a pizza to Angela Lameyer on Tuesday may very well have been the type of car making deliveries when Rosati’s Pizza was founded six decades ago.
On Tuesday, however, Rosati was delivering more than pizza. He also handed over the keys to the classic car to Lameyer, who won a nationwide contest celebrating the family-owned restaurant chain’s 60th year in business.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Lameyer said after the car arrived at her Machesney Park home. “I could not ever even fathom that something like this would come sit in my driveway.”
Rosati’s launched a nationwide promotion in September to celebrate 60 years in business. It decided to give away a red, 1964 Chevy Impala SS with four-speed manual transmission.
“We’ve been delivering since 1964,” said Rosati, the company’s CEO. “This is probably a car that was delivering pizzas in 1964.”
Customers had to enter the contest when the car made a stop at one of Rosati’s locations. Lameyer had done so at Rosati’s at 1964 Gateway Center Drive in Belvidere.
There were more than 10,000 total entries, Rosati said.
The car, which the company located at a classic car dealership in Addison, has 43,284 miles listed on the dash. It has the original engine, Rosati said.
Rosati’s roots trace back to 1927, when Saverio “Sam” Rosati opened an Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago and offered Italian style pizza. When he retired, his sons decided to carry on the family business and opened the first Rosati’s Pizza in 1964 in Mount Prospect.
The company now has more than 225 locations.
Lameyer said the moment the car was dropped off was both exciting and sentimental because Rosati’s was a favorite restaurant for her mother, Carmen Lameyer, who died on Dec. 11 at age 66.
“We do have an affinity for old cars, my dad also,” said Lameyer, who works for a local manufacturer. “We’re trying to take it all in. It’s so many emotions at one time.”
She said she’ll have to learn to drive its manual four-speed transmission.
Lameyer said their family favorites are Rosati’s lasagna and its Fabulous Four pizza, which comes with gourmet Italian sausage, mushroom, onion and green pepper.
“To give it away to somebody that’s a lifetime fan, likes cars, likes our pizza and wants the car is perfect,” Jeff Rosati said.
The car was delivered with Rosati behind the wheel, knocking on Lameyer’s door with pizzas in hand before also giving her the keys and a few lessons on the quirks of the classic car.
“I’m thankful, and blessed,” Lameyer said. “What a very good start to the Thanksgiving holiday coming up.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
