Detroit Legend Buddy's Pizza Slams Pizza Hut For It's Shitty Knockoff Detroit Style Pizza
Michigan Live - Buddy’s Pizza, which prides itself on creating Detroit’s original square pizza, didn’t hold back in criticizing Pizza Hut’s recently released Detroit-style pizza.
“If Pizza Hut’s take on Detroit-style pizza is the best they can do, then maybe they should stop doing impressions and stick to knock-knock jokes,” said Wes Pikula, chief brand officer for Buddy’s Pizza.
“We laughed when Pizza Hut claimed, ‘no one out pizzas the Hut,’ but when you try to ‘out Detroit’ Buddy’s, that gets the Motor City rumbling.”
In a spirited news release, Buddy’s Pizza, which first opened its doors in 1946, “thanked” Pizza Hut for “their attempt in introducing the world to this regional classic,” but also said “the knockoff is never as good as the original.”
To celebrate Buddy’s Pizza and its famed Detroit-style, the Detroit-based chain is donating 100% of its profits on Goldbelly to The Barstool Fund, which helps small businesses struggling with the financial impact of COVID-19.
“Real Detroit-style pizza is made with love and tradition, and the original is at Buddy’s. While we appreciate big brands getting in on the fun and shining a national spotlight on our signature product, their pizza isn’t even a good knock-off,” Pikula said.
“All you have to do is look at the reviews – the only thing worse than what customers are saying is that people think it’s Detroit-style pizza. That’s why we’re giving America the chance to try the genuine thing while, at the same time, supporting small businesses who have been hit hard by the pandemic.”
Love it. In today's overboard PR-focused world, it's nice to see a small company not give a fuck and call out a cheap imitation, without a boardroom of suits telling them doing so might be "bad for their brand".
It doesn't get any cheaper than Pizza Hut, and it doesn't get any more insulting than trying to come for the new style pizza craze.
All my best friends from college are from metro Detroit, so I've done many a trips to Buddy's, and my personal favorite Loui's, way before "Detroit-Style" started blowing up nationwide. Loved it from the first time I tried it and go out of my way to get to Lui's anytime I'm up there.
You can't confuse Detroit-Style with Chicago style because they're night and day.
Detroit style originated at Buddy's on Six Mile Road in 1946. These lovely ladies, led by Concetta “Connie” Piccinato (second right) and her boss Gus Guerra took stacks of used forged-steel pans thrown out by all the area automotive plants and used them to bake the dough in.
That gave their pizza's their square shape, crunchy charred crusts, and light, airy dough.
Whereas Chicago deep dish tastes like you're cutting into a brick, Detroit style is much lighter with a crunchy crust. They call them "4 corners pies" because each slice is a corner piece in a traditional Detroit-Style pizza. It's similar to "Sicilian Style" but they use a brick cheese blend instead of just mozzarella, and layer it toppings-cheese-sauce.
They are awesome and I'm dying for one now that I've been writing about them.
Also, legend has it the original Buddy’s still uses those original pans from 80 something years ago which adds to their taste and makes them unique.
For the record, this is Buddy's
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And this is Pizza Hut's attempt-
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So yah, take a lap Pizza Hut. Stick to your Doritos crusts and cheese-filled crusts for the mouth breathers and leave the authentic styles to the OG's.
Here's Dave's review from Buddy's.
p.s.- for New Yorkers wondering wtf the deal is with Detroit-style pizza, there's a place called Emmy Squared that does a fire pizza and they have three locations throughout the city. (Their burger is legit too)
p.p.s.- laugh all you want but the Little Caesar's inside Comerica Park actually has legit pizza that blows all other Little Caesar's away, not that that's saying much, but if you know you know.
p.p.p.s. - the Chicago hardos will no doubt tell everybody in the comment section how Detroit Style sucks and not to believe the hype. I have a theory on this, like I stated in our small business video White Sox Dave and I did with Pizza Boy, Chicagoan's are shook at how good Detroit Style pizza is, and how well its received nationwide so they go out of their way to knock it. Inferiority complex + overcompensation basically.