PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

Buddy’s Pizza, home of the original Detroit-style square pizza, will open its newest restaurant inside the Detroit Zoo on Thursday, October 4, marking its 13th location in Michigan. The eatery will be open daily year-round from 11 a.m. until the Zoo closes.

The 5,200-square-foot restaurant will seat 163 guests and offer picturesque views of the Zoo’s historic Horace H. Rackham Memorial Fountain from the main dining room, an outdoor patio and a rooftop terrace that boasts the highest vantage point in the Zoo.

In addition to serving a variety of Buddy’s original square pizzas, the restaurant will feature pizza by the slice, gluten-free pizza, antipasto salad, Buddy Brew and other cold beverages.

“We’re proud to partner with Buddy’s and bring another classic and iconic hometown staple to our visitors,” said Ron Kagan, executive director and CEO for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). “This building is also yet another example of our commitment to environmental sustainability.”

The restaurant incorporates donated and recycled materials, including tables and furnishings built with reclaimed wood from around the Zoo that have been stamped with the location of their origin. A striking ceiling feature is made of 100-year-old wooden planks from a Michigan barn, and two counters were built using bowling alley flooring from an old establishment in metro Detroit.

In addition, the windows are made with fretted glass to prevent and minimize the occurrence of bird strikes. The rooftop terrace is constructed of a 95-percent recycled wood-alternative decking material called Trex, composed primarily of plastic grocery bags and reclaimed hardwood. Future eco-friendly practices will include a rain garden cared for with water runoff from the rooftop terrace.

“Since 2011, Buddy’s has been the ‘Proud Pizza Partner of the Detroit Zoo’, which has included assisting with educational opportunities for students and special enrichment experiences with the animals,” said Wes Pikula, Buddy’s Pizza COO. “Having an actual Buddy’s restaurant there is a natural expansion of that partnership and we’re glad to be able to serve more families as they visit our cherished Zoo.”

To celebrate the opening, Buddy’s donated $1 for each Detroit Zoo pizza – topped with its signature Motor City cheese blend, roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and tomato-basil sauce – that was purchased at any of their locations during the month of September to the Detroit Zoological Society.

The restaurant will be managed by Service Systems Associates, operator of concessions, retail and grounds services for the Detroit Zoo.

Family-owned and operated since 1946, Buddy’s Pizza is the birthplace of the original Detroit-style square pizza. For seven decades, the restaurant has been feeding patrons at its 12 metro Detroit locations and earning accolades from fans across the nation, including recognition from CBS This Morning, USA Today, Zagat, Food Network, Pizza Today, Eater, Travel Channel and others. For more information, visit www.buddyspizza.com.