Project Pie Joins Legions of Fast-Casual Pizza Concepts Headed for Metro Detroit

Is Metro Detroit's fast casual pizza market over-saturated? Yet another new BYO pizza brand is headed to the area, DBusiness reports. California-based Project Pie is set to open franchise restaurants in Royal Oak and West Bloomfield. Co-owner Todd Holden characterizes the company as the bad boy "anti-chain" of the chain restaurant set with industrial décor and garage doors. "Every location is unique." Holden and his business partner hold the franchise rights to both Michigan and Ohio and are actively pursuing new locations with plans to open up to 40 restaurants in the next seven years.

Southeast Michigan is experiencing a marked uptick in development interest from pizza chains including MOD Pizza, Pie Five Pizza, and homegrown brand Brera Pizza & Salad Co. This is not accounting for the already established companies like Blaze Pizza. Can the metro area handle more? We'll have to wait and see.