Detroit-Style Pizza Restaurant Coming To Route 9

NATICK, MA — If you think you've tried Detroit-style pizza because you've had Little Caesars, think again.

A local businesswoman is opening a Detroit-style pizza restaurant along Route 9 in Natick, bringing the authentic pan-baked Motor City-style pie to the East Coast.

Kris Gullapalli, a University of Michigan grad, plans to open her Square Mfg. Co. in the plaza at 953 Worcester St.

"Growing up, I didn’t realize that the pizza I ate was different than what other people ate," she says. "I just called it ‘pizza’. But, as I moved around and traveled, I missed my favorite pizza and found out that there is a growing popularity for ‘Detroit-style pizza’."

Long overshadowed by Chicago-style, Detroit pizza is having a bit of a moment, and you might even be able to find a frozen version at your local supermarket. Detroit pies combine the best of Sicilian and Chicago styles, but with a unique crust that's ensconced by crispy Wisconsin cheddar.

The style was invented in the mid-1940s at Buddy’s Rendezvous in north-central Detroit. Owner Gus Guerra took a cue from Sicilian-style pizza, but pressed the dough into square baking sheets rather than on a flat sheet.

Square Mfg. Co. will be headed by chef Andrew Noakes, most recently of Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton. Gullapalli sent him to Detroit to learn how to make the pizza just right. Diners will get to choose from dozens of toppings, plus pizza-parlor favorites like salads, chicken wings and bread sticks.

Square Mfg. Co. will likely open sometime in December for takeout and delivery, according to Gullapalli.