Pizza Hut Is Putting Out Detroit-Style Pizza

When people in most parts of the country think of a regional style of pizza, they probably picture Chicago deep dish. But don’t tell that to the people of Detroit. Not unlike the resilient city itself, this square, rectangular, crispy pie has undergone a resurgence in recent years, with specialty pizza joints sporting Lions and Tigers paraphernalia an increasingly common sight on both coasts.

Now, it looks like Pizza Hut has plans to cash in with a Detroit-style pie of its own. Possibly a test item, it’s been spotted in Michigan so far (go figure), though Chewboom notes that some Ohio area Pizza Huts (maybe along the Michigan border) are also carrying this regional dish. This Detroit pizza is available as a single (eight slices), double (16 slices), or a massive triple (24 slices) in the usual Meat Lovers or specialty configurations, with up to five toppings. It’s like the normal pizza you know and love, just in a deeper, more rectangular configuration.

For a big chain like Pizza Hut, it takes definite courage to compete against a regional pizza style in its own backyard, not in the least because you’re facing off against local favorites who know what they’re doing. But if enthusiastic reviews like this one are any indication, it sounds like some Detroiters might just get “blown away” by what Pizza Hut’s got going on.

There’s no word yet on if or when Pizza Hut plans to take Detroit pizza to the masses, but you’d have to think that it’d go over well pretty much anywhere in the country if it’s already winning over Michiganders who are used to the real deal. Maybe it’ll finally bring Chicago’s monopoly on midwestern pizza to an end.