National Detroit-style Pizza Day: How Buddy's and Jet's are celebrating

Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
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Friday is National Detroit-Style Pizza Day, a day first created by local pizza chain Buddy's in 2021 to mark its 75th anniversary. In 2022, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also honored the day with a proclamation deeming June 23 to be National Detroit-Style Pizza Day in Michigan.

In 2021, Buddy’s donated $7,500 to three local community partners. This year, the charitable tradition continues. On Friday, Buddy’s will donate $1 to the Salvation Army for every pizza sold at its 22 locations.

Buddy's is known for its square pizzas with thick crusts with crisp and caramelized edges and sauce drizzled atop the cheese.
Buddy's is known for its square pizzas with thick crusts with crisp and caramelized edges and sauce drizzled atop the cheese.

Michigan-based Jet's Pizza is also celebrating Detroit-Style Pizza Day with a special promotion. According to its website, when you order and use the code DSP23, you'll save 20% off menu-priced pizza.

National Detroit-Style Pizza Day honors the rectangular pizza known for being baked in deep pans once used for automotive parts. The pans and the way the pies are assembled are hallmarks of Detroit-style pizza.

What's so special about Detroit-style pizza?

If you're not familiar with Detroit-style pizza, it's a rectangular pie. And depending on the place, the toppings can be on top of or under the sauce. The sauce, at some places, has its special place, too. It's dolloped on top or drizzled in lines across the top.

But what truly makes Detroit-style pizza distinctive are crispy and crunchy edges. The crispiness comes from the cheese, typically brick cheese, that caramelizes, as well as the pan it's cooked in.

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The ingredients you need to make a Detroit-style pizza: asquare deep dish pizza pan, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and, of course, the dough.
The ingredients you need to make a Detroit-style pizza: asquare deep dish pizza pan, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and, of course, the dough.

There's a book about it

Also on Friday, the original Buddy’s location at Six Mile and Conant in Detroit will host the launch of metro Detroit author Karen Dybis' book “Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History” (American Palate, $23.99).

“There was no question that the first pizza was made at Buddy’s, but there were a lot of different families involved in the beginning and some went off and opened their own restaurants and put their own spin on the pizza, creating this intricate web of stories and origins,” Dybis said in a news release. “It was an honor to finally untangle the web and provide Detroiters the history book they deserve on the beloved pizza style.”

The book explores Detroit-style pizza starting with Gus Guerra, who is credited with putting the first square pie in the oven at Buddy’s. Dybis also authored "Better Made in Michigan: The Salty Story of Detroit's Best Chip.”

“We’ve always been proud of our pies and to be the place where it all started, but Detroit-style pizza wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for all the Detroiters who have spread the word to create this incredible following,” said Wes Pikula, chief brand officer for Buddy's and a 48-year veteran of the company. “It’s remarkable to think how one creative day in the kitchen could change pizza as we know it and have such a great impact on the industry.”

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Detroit Style Pizza is from local author Karen Dybis
Detroit Style Pizza is from local author Karen Dybis

Where else can you get Detroit-style pizza?

There are plenty of places that offer Detroit-style-pizza in metro Detroit, here's a sampling:

Belle Isle Pizza, 7869 E. Jefferson, Detroit; 313-331-1222 or belleislepizza.com.

Cloverleaf Pizza, 8 metro Detroit locations; cloverleaf-pizza.com.

Como's, 22812 Woodward, Ferndale; 248-677-4439 or comosrestaurant.com.

Detroit Style Pizza Company, 28630 Harper Ave, St. Clair Shores; 586-445-2810 or detroitstylepizza.co.

Frank's Pizzeria, 3144 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte; 734-282-0512 or frankspizza1952.com.

Loui's Pizza, 23141 Dequindre, Hazel Park; 248-547-1711.

Michigan & Trumbull, 1441 W. Elizabeth Street (in Corktown), Detroit; 313-637-4992 or michigantrumbullpizza.com.

Palazzo di Pizza,1220 E. 11 Mile Road, Royal Oak; 855-233-7872 or palazzodipizzamenu.com.

For more information and Detroit-style pizza go to detroitstylepizzaday.com.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit-Style Pizza Day: Buddy's to donate, Jet's offers discount