4 Major Pizza Chains From Michigan

While the New York City versus Chicago pizza rivalry often steals the spotlight, America is home to another savory staple powerhouse: Michigan. A passion for this iconic dish runs deep in the Great Lakes State, a fondness evinced both through its own unique Detroit-style type of pizza as well as the birthplace of several noted chains. Modern giants like Domino's, Little Caesars, and others all call Michigan home, with histories that trace back decades.

The northern state prominently contributed to this category of cuisine, helping standardize recipes and delivery nationwide. No one is sure why Michigan proved such a successful origin for these corporations. Some cite the automotive industry's influence, which aided in constructing successful businesses. Others credit the state's culture of innovation.

Regardless, it's clear Michigan pizza makers know their way around a pie — all while scaling sales, too. So as large chains like Domino's accelerate growth globally, dig into the full array of offerings from the Great Lakes State.

Now the largest pizza chain worldwide — with locations in more than 90 countries — Domino's traces to a single outlet out of Ypsilanti, Michigan. First opened in 1960 by siblings Tom and James Monaghan, the latter famously cashed in his business share for a Volkswagen Beetle in '61. From the get-go, their pizza business emphasized delivery in addition to pies, catering to Ypsilanti's large university population.

Business expansion took some time; franchising did not start until 1967. Yet as momentum accumulated, Domino's steadily evolved into a widespread chain. In 1978, 200 locations were operating, a number that rapidly grew to some 1,000 in 1983 and 5,000 in 1989. By the late 1990s, the chain complemented American growth with a widespread international presence, cementing this Michigan-based pizzeria as an enormous economic success.

Amid these buzzy decades of expansion, Domino's curated unique business decisions, furthering this Michigan chain's cultural prominence. During the 1980s, the business initiated its famed 30-minute guarantee (a fast-food policy we wish still existed). In 1985, Domino's also debuted the first of several unusual delivery vehicles, an eye-catching winged motorcycle model. Not to mention the decade also saw the rise of The Noid, a famed Domino's pizza mascot. Into the 21st century, Domino's trajectory only escalated, upheld by a 2009 recipe rework and further optimizations like speedy online ordering. Today, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Domino's continues to make a big mark, operating more than 7,000 locations nationwide as of March 2026.

Nearly simultaneously with Domino's came Little Caesars, which opened its doors in 1959 in Garden City, Michigan. Started by husband-and-wife team Mike and Marian Ilitch, the chain took its name by way of Marian's nickname for Mike, kicking off decades of Roman-themed marketing. The Ilitches decided to focus their pizza business on accessible pricing — a strategy that attracted customers from the start. As pizza sales blossomed, expansion followed soon after. A franchised location opened in 1962, and Little Caesars finished the 1960s with 50 outlets.

Into the 1970s, the chain continued to fuel expansion with savvy supply chain design and marketing. In 1971, the Ilitches purchased a mushroom farm, later adding tomatoes into the rotation to cut down costs. This business grew into a separate entity called Blue Line Foodservice, which continues to operate to this day. In 1979, Little Caesars also followed with the iconic Pizza!Pizza! buy-one-get-one-free pizza deal, which lasted decades.

Whether it's complimentary bites like Little Caesars' free cookies or the launch of the revolutionary Hot-N-Ready pizza in 2004, the chain has continued to balance a deal with quality. It is a value-focused approach that has brought Little Caesars widespread success. As of March 2026, the chain operates more than 4,000 locations in all 50 states as well as in 30 countries and territories worldwide. Still based in Detroit, Little Caesars even started selling Detroit-style pizza in 2013, further emphasizing a homegrown Michigander pride.

Less widespread yet no less cherished is Hungry Howie's, famed for its signature Flavored Crust pies. It is a unique pizza focus that traces to the Detroit suburb of Taylor, Michigan, in 1973. Started by Jim Hearn, then later joined by delivery driver turned owner Steve Jackson, the chain first focused on takeout pies served out of a small storefront.

Slow and steady growth followed, helping Hearn achieve his dreams of moving to coastal Florida by the early 1980s. The Michigan chain's iconic flavored crust debuted in 1983, preceding the release of Pizza Hut's stuffed crust by more than a decade. The business kept on franchising, leading to hundreds of Hungry Howie's openings through subsequent decades. As of March 2026, the pizza chain operates around 500 outlets across 18 states, with a prominent presence in Michigan and Florida.

Hungry Howie's continues to serve its signature flavored crust pies with options like Cajun, sesame, or Asiago cheese on deep-dish, thin-crust, or classic types of pizza. Furthermore, the chain paid homage to its Michigan origins with the release of a Detroit-style pie in 2025, a showcase of its Great Lakes roots.

While Michigan's other major chains mostly whip up classic American pies, Jet's Pizza highlights the homegrown Detroit style. The chain got its start in 1978 by brothers Eugene and John Jetts in Sterling Heights, Michigan (another Detroit suburb), merging a pizza business and party supply store into one. The siblings chose to focus on crafting a deep-dish pie using a signature sauce and high-quality mozzarella.

For the first few decades, Jet's Pizza remained a local operation, with the second outlet opening in 1986 and the first franchised location opening by 1998. As outlets scaled, Jet's Pizza ownership staunchly stuck to its formula, upholding the same recipe and even the original cheese supplier. While also diversifying to thin-crust, hand-tossed, and New York-style offerings, the methodical scaling has made the brand a well-regarded national chain. As of February 2026, Jet's operates more than 420 locations in 22 states and territories, making it a well-established purveyor of Detroit-style pies.