Easy as pie.

Walk over to the corner of Church and Dodge to visit First Slice, the new restaurant that serves delicious food while helping the needy.

“The idea is that the first slice goes to people in need,” Ann Louise Haak, executive director said. “After paying our staff their salaries, 100% of our profits go to the outreach program.”

The outreach program provides more than 600 meals to the needy every week. Through partnerships with organizations like Streetwise and the Night Ministry, First Slice delivers warm and nutritious meals to Evanstonians in need.

First slice was founded 10 years ago by Mary Ellen Diaz, a former Chicago chef who wanted to serve a different demographic. Their Evanston branch recently opened on Aug. 18 as the fourth in the First Slice franchise.

First Slice is most well known for their delicious pies, but they also offer other items, including rotating lunch specials specifically for high school students.

“We hope to see more students and to make a connection with the administration,” Haak said. “ There are also homeless students a ETHS that we hope to help.”

The majority of the work that First Slice does is in the Chicago area, but they strive to do more in the Evanston community and utilize the close proximity of the high school.

“First Slice was a great way to do a meaningful volunteer service project,” Joe Snapp senior said. “ We were able to help so many people who needed it.”

First Slice is also completely self -funded, which allows it more freedom to partner with organizations without restrictions. This also means they are not dependent on state grants to keep them running.

The First Slice also has a subscriber’s program where families can pay for a certain amount of meals a week, and for every meal they receive, they send meals to the needy.

First Slice wants to become a permanent residence on the corner of Church and Dodge, hoping the community it helps cares for will help take care of it as well.