A new Detroit-style pizza delivery business broke the internet this week with its unique style of pie that has yet to be replicated by Papa John’s. Uncle Axel’s Detroit Pizza launched at the beginning of November, and has continued to sell out.
With crust that’s simultaneously crunchy and airy, Detroit-style pizza is kind of like the off-beat cousin of Sicilian. Owned by Aaron Hunter and Josiah Fast, Uncle Axel’s Detroit Pizza delivers pies that spare no toppings from their kitchen to your door.
Aaron and Josiah met while serving in the Air Force. Josiah, who formerly worked as a chef at NOSH Deli in Southern Pines, began experimenting with Detroit-style pizza a few months ago. And then, Uncle Axel’s was born.
“When Josiah started making these pizzas, I tried one and knew he was onto something,” Aaron says. “We never really expected it to take off this fast. Detroit-style is pretty popular on the West Coast right now, but it’s cool to be able to bring it to the area.”
Detroit-style pizza, Aaron explains, is unique because the pizza has toppings piled on, and the sauce goes on top of the toppings rather than underneath. No cheese is spared in the making of each pie. When baked, it forms a “cheese wall” around the whole thing.
The name “Uncle Axel’s” stems from a nickname given to Josiah by his niece. The menu rotates, and funky combos like “loaded spud” and “street taco” are released weekly.
Uncle Axel’s Detroit Pizza currently operates out of a ghost kitchen in Pinehurst. Aaron says they hope to be in a brick and mortar sooner rather than later.
For more updates on Uncle Axel’s follow them on Facebook, or check out their website. As of right now, you can place a pre-order on Monday, and deliveries are typically made on Fridays.