It All Started With A Slice
Four pizzerias have grown into successful franchisors, bringing Macomb residents some awesome pizza choices.
By Nick Lico/Photography by Mike Ferdinande
The word “pizza” can be traced back to ancient times, with instances of the word documented in 997 CE in southern Italy. Modern pizza, however, has its roots in Naples in the 18th century. It was a simple meal: dough or fl atbread, cheese and sauce and likely eaten as a snack, rather than a meal. It didn’t gain worldwide appeal until immigrants brought it to the U.S. Some of those immigrants made their home right here in metro Detroit. And Macomb County, with its prominent Italian population, is now home to numerous pizzerias – far too many to mention in one article. Rather than mentioning the myriad pizza choices Macomb County residents have (yes, we know we’re spoiled with the many options), we focus on four companies that have long histories and that have gone on to become franchisors.
Buscemi’s
Buscemi’s started as a small party store on Gratiot and Toepfer in what is now Eastpointe. At first, it wasn’t pizza that Paul Buscemi focused on for his success.
“My dad remembered seeing Hoagie sandwiches on the Eastern shore and he started selling subs. Pretty soon, he was selling a lot of Torpedoes and Baby Subs, which lead to selling more grocery items,” said Anthony Buscemi, the company’s president.
Buscemi’s location was ideal for its next venture: pizza by the slice. “East Detroit High School was across the street and soon we were selling students pizza by the slice. It was convenient for students and word got around,” Buscemi added. The recipe was based on Italian sfincione, only Americanized.
Customers still visit Buscemi for pizza by the slice and every store also offers a variety of grocery items, as well as beer, wine, liquor, lottery tickets and more. In addition to the numerous franchises scattered throughout metro Detroit, Buscemi’s products, such as their sauces and dressings, can be found at local grocery stores.
Asked for the reason behind the company’s success, Buscemi responded, “Our customers know the quality of our products and that they can get in and out of the store quickly. Our subs are made with fresh bread and freshly sliced meats and our pizza dough is aged overnight. It’s a recipe that has worked well for almost 70 years.”
Cloverleaf Pizza
Metro Detroit pizza aficionados are familiar with Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizza at 6 Mile and Conant in Detroit and Cloverleaf Pizza on Gratiot between Stephens and 10 Mile roads in Eastpointe. What they may not know is that Gus and Anna Guerra were behind the inception of both establishments.
“My parents started Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizza in 1944 and added the square pizza in 1946. It was our Grandma Passalacqua’s suggestion that our folks add food to the bar and she taught Dad her Sicilian pizza recipe. They sold Buddy’s in 1953, along with the recipe, and they moved to East Detroit and purchased Cloverleaf Bar. Although Cloverleaf is an Irish name, our family is 100 percent Italian,” said Marie Guerra Easterby. She and brother Jack are second-generation owners of the popular restaurant.
As one would expect, their square Detroit-style pizza is a customer favorite, as is a pizza named after a local TV personality. “When TV 2’s Charlie Langton stops by, he always enjoys a pepperoni and jalapeños pizza that is sprinkled with honey when it’s fi nished cooking. He gladly gave us his permission to name it after him,” Guerra Easterby said. “People love the heat and sweetness that this pizza delivers.”
She listed the antipasto salad, chicken marsala, chicken piccata and a new chicken dish, chicken martini sautéed lightly in garlic butter, among Cloverleaf’s customer favorites. While the chicken dishes are available only at the Eastpointe location, pizza, wings, salads, calzones, subs and other items are available at Cloverleaf franchises in Chesterfi eld, Grosse Pointe, Macomb, Roseville, St. Clair Shores and Sterling Heights.
A pillar of the community for seven decades, Cloverleaf believes in giving back. “Community means the most to us. We like to contribute to local groups, the schools, the churches, the bowling fundraiser, the dance teams, the football teams, the city concerts, the Eastpointe Rotary Club and the sick child and his or her family who needs support. Things like these fi gure prominently to us and we feel that our small contribution means a lot,” she added.
Jet’s Pizza
Another company with a decades-long history is Jet’s Pizza; it’s been family run since 1978. It was started by Eugene and John Jetts and Jim and Jeff Galloway. From a 1,200-square-foot storefront in Sterling Heights – called Jetts Party Shoppe & Pizzeria – Jet’s Pizza has grown to more than 440 pizzerias in 23 states. What has remained constant is the company’s commitment to quality ingredients.
“From day one, we have used seven core products that include vine-ripened tomatoes, Italian herbs and spices, dough prepared by hand each day, and hand-grated, premium Grande mozzarella cheese. A lot of companies, when they get bigger, they cut costs. We don’t do that. That’s why people love our Detroit-style pizza,” said John Jetts.
Jetts also listed their eight-corners pizza, their barbecue chicken pizza and their Eugene Supreme as customer favorites. In addition to their deep-dish pizzas, Jet’s offers hand-tossed round and thincrust pizzas, as well as breadsticks, salads, calzones and desserts. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are also available.
Jet’s celebrated its 46th anniversary in August. With 28 million pizzas sold in 2023, Jet’s owners and the franchise owners are quick to get involved in the community and have worked with many charities, including Autism Speaks, Wounded Warrior Project, and the American Red Cross. In Macomb County, Jet’s Pizza has more than 550 employees at 25 pizzerias and approximately 30 employees at their corporate offi ces in Sterling Heights.
“We couldn’t have done it without our loyal customers who keep coming back and while it’s phenomenal to see our out-of-state stores opening, we have been and continue to be rooted in Macomb County,” Jetts added.
Sam’s Sorrento Pizza
Also family-owned and run is Sam’s Sorrento Pizza with franchise locations in — St. Clair Shores, Utica, Shelby Township, Macomb Township, Washington Township, Mount Clemens, and two in Clinton Township — including one inside Imperial Lanes.
“My grandfather Alfonso Marino started in the pizza business in 1950s in Detroit. It was called Marino’s Pizza at the time. Later my dad Sam changed the name to Sam’s Sorrento Pizza and opened in Warren. It’s been in Macomb County since the ‘60s,” said Al Marino, while his son Sam tossed pizza.
Known for their hand-tossed round pizzas, they also offer a deep dish Detroit-style square pizza. “We are really known for our pepperoni on our pizza; they curl up. We’ve been using this pepperoni since day one,” Marino added. Other popular offerings from Sam’s Sorrento Pizza are the Mr. Tony’s subs. “They’re made with quality meats, real capicola, provolone and our specially ground pepper relish,” he said.
Also popular with customers is the General Pizza. It’s an extra-large pizza with up to three toppings, and a portion of the proceeds from its sale goes to a local Veterans charity. “We’ve likely donated about $100,000 since we started this promotion more than 10 years ago. The money goes to Chapter 154 Vietnam Veterans of America in Clinton Township,” Marino said, He was also a founding member of the Thrilla at the Villa (Thrilla Gives) charitable events, which has donated over a million dollars to various local charitable organizations.
What many don’t realize is that Sam’s Sorrento Pizza also offers pasta, salads, breadsticks, chicken wings, and seafood options along with full-service catering.
Next time you’re thinking about ordering pizza, think about how many choices you have living here in Macomb County and how lucky you are. With these four pizza giants, and all their locations producing all that pizza for all of us, we must all be pizza lovers.
