Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Pizza Business Keeps Booming -- And Is Hiring

CHICAGO (CBS) -- People stuck at home are still ordering their pizzas – and pizza makers are seeing a surge in applicants.

And as CBS 2's Tim McNicholas reported, Chicagoans are turning into delivery drivers to stay afloat.

In the midst of a pandemic, you do what you can to get your slice of the pie. Domino's Pizza franchisee Reece Arroyave said there is pie to go around.

"Business is up overall, which thankfully, we're blessed to be able to be in that position," Arroyave said.

Domino's has hired about 450 people in the Chicago area in the past month and a half. They say they are still looking for about 600 more.

That includes delivery drivers, pizza makers, and managers.

"What we are doing is delivering an opportunity for those that are temporarily out of work, that they could come work part time," Arroyave said. "Hopefully, they like it and want to stay full time."

Pizza is an essential business, especially in Chicago.

Lou Malnati's said they are also hiring, and they have seen a surge in applicants.

Dining rooms, of course, are closed. But thanks to delivery, curbside, pickup, and their frozen pizza shipments, chairman Marc Malnati said, "We've been pretty blessed."

"It's hugely important to me that we're able to maintain jobs and have people have that certainty in their life – they're going to be able to feed their families. They're going to have money in a week," Malnati said.

Both Lou Malnati's and Domino's are taking steps to keep their workers and customers safe, like curbside pickup and no-contact deliveries. At Arroyave's West Loop Domino's, you'll find markers set up for social distancing and reminders to wash your hands.

"We all have our Domino's-logoed masks," Arrovaye said.

The fact is, no pandemic is about to stop the pizza business.