Buddy's Pizza, home of the original Detroit-style square pizza, opened its newest restaurant inside the Detroit Zoo Oct. 4, marking its 13th location in Michigan. The eatery is open daily year-round from 11 a.m. until the zoo closes.
The 5,200-square-foot restaurant seats 163 and offer picturesque views of the zoo's Horace H. Rackham Memorial Fountain from the main dining room, an outdoor patio and a rooftop terrace that boasts the highest vantage point in the zoo.
In addition to serving a variety of Buddy's original square pizzas, the restaurant will feature pizza by the slice, gluten-free pizza, antipasto salad, Buddy Brew and other cold beverages.
The restaurant incorporates donated and recycled materials, including tables and furnishings built with reclaimed wood from around the zoo that have been stamped with the location of their origin. A striking ceiling feature is made of 100-year-old wooden planks from a Michigan barn, and two counters were built using bowling alley flooring from an old establishment in Metro Detroit.