Buddy’s Pizza is bringing back the recipe that started it all. The Hamtramck institution, which has served Detroit-area customers since 1946, announced plans this week to reintroduce its original Sicilian-style pizza formula as part of an 80th-anniversary celebration running through the end of 2026.
The move marks a significant moment for the beloved pizzeria, which has expanded to multiple locations across Michigan while maintaining its reputation for square, airy Sicilian pies. Current ownership and management say the revival honors the restaurant’s founders while reconnecting with customers who remember the earliest days of the business.
A Legacy Built on Dough and Determination
When Buddy Portelli opened the first Buddy’s location on Canfield Avenue in Hamtramck during the post-World War II era, he brought with him a recipe passed down through his Sicilian family. That original formula, which relied on a specific blend of flours and a longer fermentation process, became the foundation for what would eventually grow into a regional pizza powerhouse.
“My grandfather believed that pizza should be light, almost airy, with a crispy bottom and a chewy interior,” said Michael Portelli, the founder’s grandson and current executive director of Buddy’s Pizza. “He would spend hours getting the fermentation times just right. It wasn’t about rushing the process.”
The original restaurant operated from a modest storefront for decades, building a devoted following among Hamtramck residents and workers from nearby automotive plants. By the 1990s, Buddy’s had become so popular that the company began exploring expansion opportunities, eventually opening locations in Dearborn, Warren, and other communities.
The Quest to Recapture Original Flavors
The decision to revive the original recipe came after months of research and testing. The company worked with food historians and conducted extensive interviews with longtime customers and family members who remembered the earliest versions of Buddy’s pizza.
“We wanted to make sure we got it right,” said Portelli. “We had old invoices, supplier records, and family notes that helped us understand exactly what ingredients and processes were being used in the 1940s and 1950s.”
The revived recipe uses a flour blend sourced from a small mill in upstate New York that specializes in heritage grain varieties. The dough now ferments for 48 hours before being stretched and topped, compared to the 24-hour fermentation that Buddy’s has used at its modern locations over the past two decades.
Testing revealed subtle but significant differences in texture and flavor. The original recipe produces a pizza with a slightly thicker, more pillowy crust and a more pronounced tangy flavor in the dough.
Rolling Out the Celebration
Starting this month, all Buddy’s locations are offering the “Portelli Heritage Pizza,” a version made with the original recipe and topped with classic toppings like fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, and Michigan-grown basil. The company is pricing the heritage version slightly higher than standard pizzas to reflect the additional labor and sourcing costs.
Beyond the new menu item, Buddy’s is planning a series of anniversary events throughout 2026. A pop-up museum dedicated to the restaurant’s history opened this week in the original Hamtramck location, featuring vintage photographs, equipment, and family memorabilia from the Portelli archives.
“We’re keeping the original location open as a working pizzeria while also turning it into a space where people can learn about our history,” said Portelli. “It’s important to us that Hamtramck remains central to the Buddy’s story.”
The company also commissioned local filmmaker Patricia Okonkwo to produce a 45-minute documentary about the Portelli family and the evolution of Buddy’s Pizza. The film is set to premiere at the Detroit Film Theatre in March.
Community Response and Long-Term Vision
Regular customers have responded enthusiastically to the anniversary plans. Long-time Buddy’s patron Marcus Thompson, who has eaten at the Hamtramck location since the 1970s, said the heritage pizza reminds him of pies he ate as a teenager.
“I can taste the difference,” said Thompson. “It’s lighter somehow, more delicate. It takes me back.”
Portelli says the company has no plans to completely replace its current menu. Instead, both versions will remain available, allowing customers to choose between the heritage recipe and the modern formula.
“We’re not saying our current pizza is wrong,” Portelli explained. “It’s just different. Both versions have their merits. We wanted to offer people the chance to experience what their grandparents might have tasted at Buddy’s.”
The company is also investing in new equipment at the original Hamtramck location to better accommodate the longer fermentation times required for the heritage recipe. Construction on those upgrades begins next month.
As Buddy’s enters its ninth decade, the emphasis on honoring its roots reflects a broader trend among established Detroit restaurants to reconnect with their founding principles while remaining competitive in a crowded market.
“There’s something powerful about understanding where you came from,” said Portelli. “For us, that’s Hamtramck, that’s our family, and that’s this recipe. Celebrating 80 years means we get to celebrate all of that.”
