PizzaPapalis Celebrates 10th Anniversary in Dearborn

PizzaPapalis on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn will celebrate its 10th anniversary this month, and to celebrate, the restaurant has some fun promotions and surprises in store for its guests.

Throughout the month of June, PizzaPapalis will be rolling back their pizza prices to the day they opened on June 12, 2003 as a customer appreciation. The promotion will take place Monday through Thursdays for dine-in orders only.

"We've been doing really well at this location, and it's due in a large part to our customers," general manager Marty Wilk said. "In honor of our anniversary, we thought it would be fun to look at our menu from 10 years ago and offer those prices again.

"Our customers will see that our prices have remained relatively steady, and that we've tried not to push our increased product costs onto their bills."

Known for their trademark Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, Wilk said the Dearborn eatery boasts a loyal following all over the world.

"A lot of other pizzerias claim they can do Chicago style, but it's not authentic," he said. "People come from all over the country for our pizzas."

The primary difference between deep-dish pizza and most other forms of pizza is that, as the name suggests, the crust is very deep, creating a very thick pizza that resembles a pie more than a flatbread.

Wilk said one of the most often requested pizzas is the restaurant's signature seafood pizza, which features three-inches of dough, cheese, sauce, shrimp and crab baked to golden perfection.

"We recently had a woman from Japan come into the restaurant and order five seafood pizzas to freeze and take back across the ocean with her," Wilk said. "When your food is being sought overseas, that's pretty exciting."

The restaurant is also a popular destination for tourists, he said.

"We have a great relationship with the local hotels and The Henry Ford," he said. "Many people have never tried a Chicago-style pizza, so we're one of the first stops on their list."

From fine dining to pizza entrepreneur

No stranger to the culinary world, Wilk has spent the past 30 years in the restaurant business, holding every possible position in his family's fine dining restaurant, Excalibur, before opening his own business in 2003.

"I've been working in restaurants since I was a kid," he laughed. "I can't escape it, but at the same time, I love what I do."

After earning a degree in 2000 from Michigan State University's School of Hospitality Business and selling the family restaurant, Wilk decided to turn his love for food — specifically pizza — into a new business venture.

"I've always been a fan of pizza," he said. "My mom would tell me that if I kept eating so much pizza, I would eventually turn into one."

Wilk did the next best thing, and when a restaurant recruiter came calling, he jumped on board to open the Dearborn PizzaPapalis.

"I grew up with the fine dining aspect of steaks, seafood and lobster. (Opening PizzaPapalis) gave me a chance to use that experience and make our restaurant a little classier. It's been a good experience for me as well to see a different side of restaurants," he said.

Wilk took his love for the pizza pie and enhanced his restaurant's menu, adding everything from sandwiches and pasta, to Piedmontese beef burgers. He also expanded the location to add Mexican-style meals through his sister restaurant, Rio Wraps, located next door.

"I can't change the menu, but I have some freedom to try certain specials," Wilk said.

When it comes to cooking versus managing, however, Wilk said he doesn't know which responsibility he prefers over the others.

"I like to cook, but I like to spend time in the dining room with customers as well," he said. "There is a very diverse clientele in Dearborn. We get people of all ethnicities in the restaurant."

The restaurant is open seven days a week, except for the Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving holidays. PizzaPapalis is open Mondays through Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, or to view ongoing specials, visit the restaurant's Facebook page, or call 313-724-7722.