Midtown's Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria Gears Up for April Debut with 30 Taps

Jolly Pumpkin is by all estimates about a month away from opening, according to representatives from Northern United Brewing Co. Eater got an inside look at the new pizzeria and bar headed for Midtown's Shinola complex.

The restaurant's open floor plan features beer hall-style seating with long wooden tables and an brass bar offset by a reclaimed wood pallet backdrop that houses 30 taps.

We feel that you can still do amazing food and be casual.

The Midtown Jolly Pumpkin restaurant will offer a different format, style, and menu from its counterparts in Ann Arbor and Traverse City says partner Tony Grant. "It's so boring, to me, if you feel like you go in and the food is rubber stamped." While menu items like the JP Burger and truffle fries will be familiar, many of the central items will be unique to the Detroit restaurant. For the last six months, Jolly Pumpkin and Avalon International Breads have been working to perfect the restaurant's pizza dough recipe. Avalon will also be supplying the restaurant's breads and desserts.

When diners first visit the Jolly Pumpkin Pizzeria they might be surprised to find that the restaurant is somewhat self-serve. "We feel that you can still do amazing food and be casual," Grant says. Walk in and order from the menu at the back counter, stop in at the bar for a pint, and then find a table and wait for your pizza.

As for the the taplist, Grant says to expect a selection of the brewer's signature, barrel-aged sour beers, alongside North Peak and Grizzly Peak brand beers, Nomad Ciders, and — something new for Detroit — two draft wines from northern Michigan. While nearly everything served in the taproom will be brewed in Northern United's Dexter facilities, the restaurant will feature a very small brewing set-up for test batches. Jolly Pumpkin is hiring. The restaurant is expected to open in early April.