The way Ryan Magruder looks at it, if Pope Leo XIV is a devout consumer of Aurelio’s Pizza, how can he go wrong?

The new pope publicly noted his fondness for Aurelio’s Pizza during his time in the Chicago area, and Magruder and his wife, Abby, also are fans of the pizza.

They now will set out to convince as many others as possible.

The Magruders, who in January purchased the popular Bourbonnais wine bar Flight 102, became the new owners of the well-established pizza restaurant at 1600 N. Convent St.

The Magruders were not looking to expand their business portfolio – which also includes a pair of SuperWash Laundry Center locations – but after sitting down with then-owners Mike and Amy Mills, the opportunity simply became one they didn’t want to let pass them by.

“I was in neutral,” Magruder said last week about the Oct. 15 purchase. “We weren’t looking for this. ... We are always up for a challenge. We like to be busy.”

While Abby had some modest experience in working at a pizza restaurant – having worked at Little Caesars Pizza in her teens – Ryan Magruder acknowledged that he had no experience flipping dough or slicing pepperoni.

But, he said, they are always willing to listen.

The more they listened, they liked what they heard.

He said this purchase came about in the same fashion as Flight 102, which they bought from Brian and Kelly St. Aubin.

They weren’t necessarily looking for a new adventure, but when one presented itself, they discussed it, crunched some numbers and eventually jumped.

“We looked at the numbers. They were very interesting,” Magruder said.

There are some changes to the site that already are being contemplated. The site has not been opened for lunch for some time. Magruder wants to bring back lunch “100%,” and the lunch buffet at least a couple days a week.

He would like to offer a dinner buffet perhaps once a week. The timing for these options are not yet finalized.

He also is concerned about the area the restaurant serves in terms of deliveries. He wants the breadth of deliveries significantly expanded.

And if deliveries are not expanded through restaurant employees, he could open them up to food services such as Grub Hub or other similar offerings.

In short, he wants this pizza option to be available in as many homes as possible.

The staff of about 40 full- and part-time employees remains. Magruder is pleased with the talent level he and his wife have observed.

“This is a well-established business. It has great employees. They already do things well. If we can bring lunch back,” it would only add to the location, he said.

He also is aware of the Bradley 315 Sports Park and other pending developments.

“These things can make a good business even better,” he said.

And although he had zero experience working at a pizza restaurant, he and Abby went through training at the Aurelio’s flagship location in Homewood.

They met with some Aurelio family and management. There, they learned the ins and outs of making pizza dough and the company’s famous pizza sauce.

It may not be likely the public sees the Magruders wearing chef hats or full-length aprons, but they will be on-site plenty as they absorb as much of this venture – and its famous pizza – as possible.

Whether Pope Leo will actually be on-site may be rather unlikely.

However, the Magruders have that situation covered as well.

The location came equipped with a life-sized cardboard cutout of the pontiff. He remains a fan.