Pizza Capital of the United States?

**heedus** · April-28-09, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

There are a lot of unique things about Detroit. I don't believe its pizza market is one of them, even if there seems to be a lot of chains borne out of this area. In terms of the pizza quality itself, there are some great ones here, but, again, nothing to cause us to be a "pizza capital."
Pizza Papalis is the truth, though.

For me, the concentration of chains borne out of this area is unique and something that we should at least consider leveraging. I don't think it's merely a coincidence that these chains originated in metro Detroit [[and Toledo). I would wager that it has a lot to do with the rise of the middle class in this area.

I'm not envisioning some grand plan to turn the Uniroyal tire into a pizza or the rail depot into a pizza hall of fame [[thanks for those submissions, though, they definitely made me smile). What about taking 2000 sq. feet of space downtown and making a pizza museum? I would enjoy seeing some of those "Yo Noid" commercials being played while checking out some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figurines. If not a pizza museum, why not a museum dedicated toward true American cuisine? The museum wouldn't necessarily need to celebrate the quality of popular American cuisine, but it could bring back a lot of fond memories associated with popular American cuisine. On top of all the coneys, this area has some great burger joints [[Hunter House or Blimpy Burger) and Big Boy is headquartered in Warren. You may think these ideas are ridiculous but just wait until Columbus, Ohio [[home to Wendy's and White Castle) tries doing something along these lines.

**gnome** · April-28-09, 11:03 AM

Attachment 879

jl, you don't look like James Bond to me.

**gumby** · April-28-09, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by ejames01

Calm down fella. Dominos and Little Caesars do make crappy Pizza. If sales were what makes a food product good then the Big Mac should be considered the best hamburger in the world.

My point was not that they were disgusting or not. My point is an opinion was stated as fact. Which as we know opinions are like assholes. I find Little Caesars and Dominos to be pretty good pizza. So you don't like them, no one gives a fuck.

**Jimaz** · April-28-09, 01:43 PM

Funny picture, gnome.

Don't miss the sign.

**12468_laing** · April-28-09, 03:45 PM

Nashville got it's first Jet's Pizza late last year, and I absolutely love it. Reminds me of Cal's Pizza on the east side which used to be on East Warren back in the 70-80's then moved to Harper. Anyone know if Cal's is still there?

**evelethcdenver** · April-28-09, 05:48 PM

They have recently opened about six or seven new Little Caesars here in the Denver area in the last year. Too bad the interior decor is not like the one on Warwick and Grand River used to be with the Red Wing pictures on the wall.

**detroitbob** · April-28-09, 07:10 PM

...build a gateway to the city made of Pizza Slice shapes.

and paint pepperoni slices on the I94 bridges, replacing the blue with white waves

**ruxy17** · April-28-09, 08:07 PM

i grew up near 13 and crooks and tania's pizza was a staple. i used to ride my bike up there every day in the summers and get a slice of stuffed pizza and then stop next door for some baskin robbins. in high school, it wasn't odd to see someone with a huge blister on their lip from biting into a pocket of piping hot sauce. every single time i'm visiting my mom i stop at tania's first. sometimes after too. you know, for the road.

i sure could go for some tania's right now.

**erikd** · April-28-09, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by heedus

While typing this, I also realized that how ironic it would be to name Detroit the pizza capital of the world given that it's very difficult to get late night delivery in dowtown.

You can get late night pizza delivered downtown from about a dozen places: Detroit Pizza Factory, Happy's, Dominoes, Cottage Inn, Sicily's, Pizza Papalis, Jet's, and Amicci's are just a few off the top of my head...

**FlyingJ** · April-28-09, 10:38 PM

ejames01 If sales were what makes a food product good then the Big Mac should be considered the best hamburger in the world.

Instead the glory is that of a Pittsburgh Mickey D's franchisee who swiped it from a Glendale, CA sit-down burger chain now based in Warren

I dunno if we have any Filipino cuisine afficianados here, but there's a pretty good restaurant located where the first Bob's, uh, Big Boy, used to be. For you True Crime fans it's also a block East of the former location of the Hillside Strangler[[s) torture upholstery shop.

**Fury13** · April-28-09, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by heedus

I'd love to see Jets, Hungry Howies, Cottage Inn, Papa Romanos, and Benitos expand and do well nationally, especially if they keep their corporate offices here in Metro Detroit.

Yes to all of those, except Hungry Howie's and Cottage Inn. Howie's in particular is some truly vile pizza. Makes me want to retch.

Jet's, on the other hand, is probably the best of the chain/delivery type pizzas [[I'm not including Buddy's, nor Shield's, in that group).

**gnome** · April-29-09, 04:29 AM

see someone with a huge blister on their lip

"ah er, yeah, I'll have a large deep-dish with everything, ...hold the shankers."

Ruxy, if mom never told you and if you missed that day in health class, you can't get a shanker from pizza pie. Maybe Clawson is different with being named after a pickle and everything, but in most parts of the world only a different kind of hot pie is filling that order.

**heedus** · April-29-09, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Yes to all of those, except Hungry Howie's and Cottage Inn. Howie's in particular is some truly vile pizza. Makes me want to retch.

For the life of me, I just don't get this type of attitude. Both Hungry Howies [[Madison Heights) and Cottage Inn [[Ann Arbor) are headquartered in Michigan. I just can't figure out why someone in this area [[or at least a supporter of this area) would not want these chains to succeed and do well nationally, even if that person doesn't particularly care for their pizza. Obviously, these chains are doing something right. In addition, with their headquarters in Michigan, they not only provide well-paying jobs for people in their corporate offices but also likely hire local law, accounting, and advertising firms, etc. to help run their businesses. The better these chains do nationally, the more money that gets filtered back to this area.

**kraig** · April-29-09, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by heedus

For the life of me, I just don't get this type of attitude. Both Hungry Howies [[Madison Heights) and Cottage Inn [[Ann Arbor) are headquartered in Michigan. I just can't figure out why someone in this area [[or at least a supporter of this area) would not want these chains to succeed and do well nationally, even if that person doesn't particularly care for their pizza. Obviously, these chains are doing something right. In addition, with their headquarters in Michigan, they not only provide well-paying jobs for people in their corporate offices but also likely hire local law, accounting, and advertising firms, etc. to help run their businesses. The better these chains do nationally, the more money that gets filtered back to this area.

I'm with you. Personally, I think that Little Ceasars is the White Castle of Pizza. But there are a lot of people that like their food. Besides, in this economy, I want every business to strive and stay in business.

**BShea** · April-29-09, 08:54 AM

I think the point of the story is the LC was aiming to be the best value brand, not an elite pizza. And a lot of people feed their families on it, I guess, for cheap. They're obviously quite successful at what they do.

In any case, all pizza pales in comparison to Donato's. Once that Ohio chain opens a branch here in Detroit, I'm going to weigh about 600lbs and have liquid pepperoni for blood. When I go down there, I make sure I bring a large home to eat over several days. Never had anything like it [[it's a thin-crust with a unique blend of spices and 100 pepperoni slices on every large).

Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

**kraig** · April-29-09, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by BShea

I think the point of the story is the LC was aiming to be the best value brand, not an elite pizza. And a lot of people feed their families on it, I guess, for cheap. They're obviously quite successful at what they do.

In any case, all pizza pales in comparison to Donato's. Once that Ohio chain opens a branch here in Detroit, I'm going to weigh about 600lbs and have liquid pepperoni for blood. When I go down there, I make sure I bring a large home to eat over several days. Never had anything like it [[it's a thin-crust with a unique blend of spices and 100 pepperoni slices on every large).

Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Aw man, you've made me hungry and I have a couple hours to go before lunch. I'm going to have to drive to Loui's on Dequindre or Buddy's on six mile for lunch just to get some pizza.

**ejames01** · April-29-09, 09:01 AM

It isn't an opinion. It is a proven FACT that Dominoes and Little Sleezers serve crappy food. Only a disturbed individual would even dare to claim that they are the best pies that one could buy. You could buy better pizza at a gas station.

Originally Posted by gumby

My point was not that they were disgusting or not. My point is an opinion was stated as fact. Which as we know opinions are like assholes. I find Little Caesars and Dominos to be pretty good pizza. So you don't like them, no one gives a fuck.

**FlyingJ** · April-29-09, 11:09 AM

ejames01 It isn't an opinion. It is a proven FACT that Dominoes and Little Sleezers serve crappy food. Only a disturbed individual would even dare to claim that they are the best pies that one could buy. You could buy better pizza at a gas station.

I don't think your trolling, but the funny thing is if you replace "Domino's & Little Caesar's" with "GM, Ford & Chrysler" & "food" with "cars" 90% of the board would scream for your blood, but because it's pizza, anti-Detroit bias gets a pass

**ejames01** · April-29-09, 11:43 AM

The truth is the truth. I would say the same thing if someone tried to say that a Steak dinner at Outback is better than one at Flemings or Ruth Chris.

**Fury13** · April-29-09, 11:45 AM

For the life of me, I just don't get this type of attitude. Both Hungry Howies [[Madison Heights) and Cottage Inn [[Ann Arbor) are headquartered in Michigan. I just can't figure out why someone in this area [[or at least a supporter of this area) would not want these chains to succeed and do well nationally, even if that person doesn't particularly care for their pizza. Obviously, these chains are doing something right. In addition, with their headquarters in Michigan, they not only provide well-paying jobs for people in their corporate offices but also likely hire local law, accounting, and advertising firms, etc. to help run their businesses. The better these chains do nationally, the more money that gets filtered back to this area.

Sorry, it's all about product and the quality of that product, not whether it's "hometown." [[In pizza as well as cars... "hometown" cuts no ice with me. Quality is what matters.) Improve the product and I'll root for it to succeed. Until that day, however, if a product persists in being lousy, I'll hope that it fails.

I would say that Little Caesar's is the McDonald's of pizza and Domino's is the Burger King. The White Castle of pizza? Since White Castle makes tastier burgers than McD's and BK, while still making a mass-produced product, I don't know what the correlation would be. Maybe Papa Romano's?

**ejames01** · April-29-09, 11:51 AM

I agree with Fury13. It is dishonest to claim something is a good product when it is not. Why not just improve the product?

**TKshreve** · April-29-09, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by ejames01

I agree with Fury13. It is dishonest to claim something is a good product when it is not. Why not just improve the product?

Listen, most of these products are pretty good when assembled correctly. In many cases you are paying minimum wage [[which is way too much TY Jennifer Granholm) to do this job, and the youngsters and cuckoos can not do that portion of the job right. They slap it together, push mistakes through and deliver crappy customer service when questioned on their products/service.

Many chains are franchised out on a grand scale, and the owners quickly become "absentee owners" after a few months, only to see their stores spiral down sales/service/product wise ten times quicker than it would take to build/revive those sales.

The problem with this industry is saturation and profit margins. With so many people fighting for the same slice of the pie [[

), it becomes a rat race of penny pinching and cut throat marketing that drives the consumers perceptions.

In any city, if you can find a pizzeria that actually takes its' time assembling the products and baking them properly, then you have a winner.

I will take a perfect Dominos pizza over a sloppy [[insert your favorite mom n pop pizzeria here) pizza anyday. It's about the operation, not the ingredients.

**heedus** · April-29-09, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Sorry, it's all about product and the quality of that product, not whether it's "hometown." [[In pizza as well as cars... "hometown" cuts no ice with me. Quality is what matters.) Improve the product and I'll root for it to succeed. Until that day, however, if a product persists in being lousy, I'll hope that it fails.

I would say that Little Caesar's is the McDonald's of pizza and Domino's is the Burger King. The White Castle of pizza? Since White Castle makes tastier burgers than McD's and BK, while still making a mass-produced product, I don't know what the correlation would be. Maybe Papa Romano's?

Well, as I've stated numerous times in this thread, there must be a reason that these chains are expanding nationally. While you may subjectively view their "product" as poor, the market would seem to argue otherwise. Unlike the Big 3 where the market has been demanding better product for years [[although some of that has to do with outdated perceptions), the U.S. pizza consumer market seems to be satisfied, for whatever reason [[speed, price, options, taste, etc.), with the product these hometown companies produce. Why would you want to see these hometown companies fail merely because you subjectively view their product as lousy?

**rjlj** · April-29-09, 12:38 PM

I saw a bunch of Dominoâ€™s Pizza restaurants in Rio de Janeiro Brazil a few weeks ago. Also, the grocery stores carried a lot of Kelloggâ€™s cereal products and I would say about half the vehicles on the road were Chevroletâ€™s.

**kraig** · April-29-09, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Sorry, it's all about product and the quality of that product, not whether it's "hometown." [[In pizza as well as cars... "hometown" cuts no ice with me. Quality is what matters.) Improve the product and I'll root for it to succeed. Until that day, however, if a product persists in being lousy, I'll hope that it fails.

I would say that Little Caesar's is the McDonald's of pizza and Domino's is the Burger King. The White Castle of pizza? Since White Castle makes tastier burgers than McD's and BK, while still making a mass-produced product, I don't know what the correlation would be. Maybe Papa Romano's?

You're proving my point for me. You believe that White Castle is tastier than McDonald's and Burger King, I don't. I can't stand White Castle, to me it's the cheapest and nastiest. I view Little Ceasars the same way from a pizza standpoint, that's my correlation. But, if you and a number of other people feel differently and support those franchises, then why wouldn't I want those to succeed? If I don't like it, I don't need to buy it. But again, in this economy I want these businesses to succeed and for all of their employees to hold on to their jobs. It's a matter of tastes and opinions.

Hell, if left up to my preferences, this City would have more Strip Clubs than streetlights. But, I'm pretty sure that the rest of you don't feel that way. LOL