News

Detroit Style Pizza debuts in Louisville

May 31, 2013

Louisville, Ky., home of Papa John's and Pizza Hut parent company Yum! Brands, now has a new kind of pizza — Detroit Style.

Loui Loui's, which has earned a Detroit Style Pizza Maker designation, is now open in Louisville and was founded by Detroit native Mike Spurlock. According to a news release, Spurlock missed the unique flavor and texture of Detroit Style Pizza and wanted to bring it to his current hometown.

"I grew up on Detroit Style Pizza and though Louisville has a lot of great pizzerias, there was nothing like it in my town. Detroit Style Pizza is in a class all its own, so I'm thrilled to be able to serve the same unique and delicious pizza I've always loved to Louisville. Based upon the response so far, Louisville loves this style as much as I do," Spurlock said.

Spurlock and his crew earned the title Detroit Style Pizza Maker after enrolling in the Detroit Style Pizza Training Program in which they trained alongside World Champion Pizza Maker Shawn Randazzo. Randazzo's mission is for Detroit Style Pizza concepts to grow throughout the country.

"Baking authentic Detroit Style Pizza is an art, and I loved Mike's passion for premium flavor and quality in his pizza," Randazzo said. "Loui Loui's is off to a fantastic start and Mike's dedication to authenticity as well as his business acumen will almost certainly make Loui Loui's a popular and beloved Louisville pizzeria for decades to come."

Detroit certified

The Detroit Style Pizza Maker designation is the industry's measure of authenticity, awarded only to pizzerias that demonstrate adherence to practices that yield true-to-style Detroit Style Pizza.

Detroit Style Pizza, nicknamed "upside down pizza" or "red top pizza," is made with a specific process that requires details such as dough hydration, proofing and deck oven baking. The dough is spread into well-seasoned square steel pans — the same types of pans originally used as parts trays at Detroit's auto plants – and then layered with pepperoni. Cheese is placed on top of the pepperoni before additional toppings are applied. Red sauce is ladled on top either before or after baking in deck ovens. The result is a thick pizza that features caramelized cheese on a thick crust that's chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

The Detroit Style Pizza Maker Training Program trains pizzeria owners, managers and staff how to properly prepare and bake authentic Detroit Style Pizza. The program also offers customized training for pizzeria operations, customer service and marketing to help graduates achieve business success.

In addition to traditional Detroit Style Pizzas, Loui Loui's serves a number of Detroit Style combo pies including the recently-added "Loui Kentucky," a tribute to the unique Detroit Style flavors combined with the Louisville staple open-face sandwich, the Kentucky hot brown. Loui Loui's also features a number of Italian-influenced pastas featuring homemade sauces and secret spices, salads and a variety of appetizers including house specialties Arancini, meatballs, hummus and chicken wings.

Read more about operations management.