![]() “We would not have been able to do it without the stimulus. "The stores reliant on dining in would not have survived without PPP (the federal Paycheck Protection Program)," Sheena said. Out of Pizza Papalis' eight locations, Sheena said, at least 3-4 of the stores would have been OK. "For the first time in my lifetime that something like this has happened where there is so much uncertainty in everyone’s lives," Sheena said.Īlthough the Greektown location shut down completely for the redesign, the Sheenas had to make some tough decisions with other locations, including laying off some staff. Sales began improving in February and March, he said.Īnd then came COVID-19 and things changed almost overnight. It was around December, Sheena said, the Detroit-style started to come around. Greektown, Troy, Taylor and Toledo have sit-down PizzaPapalis restaurants."It started out slow trying to sell a Detroit-style pizza when you've been known for Chicago-style or deep dish," Sheena said. "When someone comes in its more than likely they want a deep dish." PizzaPapalis' Greektown location, 553 Monroe in Detroit, is open 11 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs. We haven't cut any corners, we haven't changed a darn thing. I'm still using the same flour that we've had. "I'm still getting the same tomatoes from Italy. "We really haven't changed anything in the last 35 years," he said. While the business is trying new things by adding an completely new style of pizza, Sheena said much has stayed the same since he opened this original location. ![]() Back in the mid-1980s, it was rare for a business owner who was not of Greek descent to open a business on this strip in Downtown Detroit. This helps make up for other factors that have negatively affected the restaurant recently, like the dip in attendance for Detroit sports teams and the increase of other food businesses opening.Īll Detroit-style pizzas are priced at $19.86 to commemorate the year Sheena opened PizzaPapalis in Greektown. He says business has increased each month since he began serving the Detroit-style square pizza in September. Sheena, who says he is "juiced" to come into work every day even after three decades, says the response has been positive not just from customers but also his servers and cooks. PizzaPapalis Greektown location, 553 Monroe in Detroit, is open 11 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs. "You talk to a Buddy's guy, a Loui's guy, a Cloverleaf guy, and they're all going to say something a little different (about how they season their pans)." He seasons his pans with olive oil and a some butter. "I want it have a lot of cell structure to it and that's what I was shooting for." "I want it to be nice and airy," he said of the dough, which uses a blend of flours. The red sauce is a mix of what he uses on his thin crust pizzas and the Chicago-style deep dishes. The cheese is a PizzaPapalis brand mozzarella, which is part skim and part whole milk, along with Wisconsin brick cheese and white cheddar. "It's like anything else that I do, I spent a lot of time figuring out recipes," said Sheena, who actually has attended Gemignani's pizza school in San Francisco. Buying new or additional ovens for a whole new style of pizza was not a feasible option. PizzaPapalis Greektown location, 553 Monroe in Detroit, is open 11 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs. He not only had to test what tasted and looked the best, but what also worked with his ovens. Sheena says rather than consult others on Motown's popular pizza style - "we don't just buy Tony Gemignani 'Pizza Bible' and say 'OK, how does he do Detroit-style pizza?'' Sheena quips - he spent eight months researching it himself.
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