Jan 31, 2023 - Food and Drink

Try this Black-owned, plant-based Detroit-style pizza

ItsfoodDetroit's vegan pepperoni pizza. Photos: Samuel Robinson/Axios

As Detroit-style pizza spreads across the country, one local woman is making her pies with a greater focus on the health and wellness of her community.

The intrigue: "Let's not get caught up in the label or the concept, let's just eat food," Brittany March, founder of vegan, plant-based pizza pop-up ItsfoodDetroit, tells Axios.

What's happening: For three years, March has been making pizza inside Alkebu-lan Village, a cultural education and youth recreational center on the east side celebrating its 45th anniversary this spring.

  • The menu features a robust variety of vegan options, with a handful of carnivorous choices topped with turkey pepperoni and bacon or Italian sausage.
  • ItsfoodDetroit serves at different pop-ups around the city, and March says she hopes to eventually open a six-days-a-week storefront location.

Flashback: March started making pizza almost 10 years ago, using conventions across the country to learn more and perfect her recipes.

  • Around 2016, she began picking up on just how much people from outside of Michigan wanted to try Detroit-style pizza.

What she's saying: "The feedback that I was getting was that Detroit-style pizza was taking off," March said. "I was floored … Of course I knew what Detroit-style pizza was before I went, but I didn't know that it had impacted the world. Now, it's everywhere that people are specifically dedicating what they do to Detroit-style pizza."

💭 Sam's thought bubble: I'm not vegan, but was curious enough to order the vegan pepperoni and cheese. The cheese — the real test — was great. The crust had the perfect crunch and the tomato sauce was plopped on top of the toppings with tasty spices mixed in that added flavor.

If you go: Pickup available each Sunday (12-5pm) and first Saturday of the month (11am-7pm) at Alkebu-lan Village: 7701 Harper, Detroit.

ItsfoodDetroit founder Brittany March
ItsfoodDetroit founder Brittany March.
avatar

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Detroit.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more

More Detroit stories

No stories could be found

Detroitpostcard

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Detroit.

🌱

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

Learn more