Say cheese: St. Louis-based pizza house popular in Cape Girardeau

Whether it's a beautiful, sunny day or a dark, stormy night, Imo's Pizza is a restaurant people can enjoy year-round.

Located across from the Henderson Avenue and Broadway intersection, Imo's has been serving the original St. Louis-style pizza to the Cape Girardeau area since 1991.

The restaurant has a patio where customers can enjoy a beer and a good meal. It may be the dog days of summer, but manager Brandon Bush said the restaurant has been maintaining a steady outdoor crowd.

"We have umbrellas, so with the shade and a breeze it's not too bad. The only thing that keeps people off there is the rain," Bush said.

While stormy weather may drive customers to the inside dining area, it encourages people at home to opt for delivery. "If it's raining or snowing, our delivery is through the roof," Bush said.

So what makes Imo's so popular in the wide world of pizza joints? The cheese.

Imo's created and coined its "Provel" cheese, and owner Scott Bucher said it is the winning point to their pizza.

"Provel is a mixture of cheddar, Swiss and provolone. We have rights to the cheese, so Imo's is the only one that can use it," Bucher said.

Though Imo's is largely recognized as the home of the thin, crunchy pizza, crust-lovers can get their fix here, too. The pizzeria offers a thick-crust pizza that gets house dressing and a Romano cheese mixture baked around the edges.

"The dressing around the edge of the crust makes it a different experience," Bush said. "Everyone wants to eat the crust when it's like that."

The fresh ingredients that contain no additives or preservatives are another selling point. Bucher said the sausage and hamburger is raw, not pre-cooked, giving the pizza much more flavor. The homemade sauce adds to the savory flavor.

Bush said the secret to the sauce is patience. "We slow cook it and don't rush it. You gotta keep it moving and never let it stick."

Because of the prime location within walking distance to campus, Imo's draws a large clientele from Southeast Missouri State University. Bush also said they offer a student discount.

"We wanted to help college students that don't have much money get a meal," Bush said. "We wanted to make sure they could afford something to eat other than ramen noodles."

Imo's is also open late for those study sessions. It is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Imo's Pizza

1201 Broadway

334-3993