Detroit-Style Pizza Finds New Home in North St. Pete

Orlando-based SoDough Square is gearing up to launch a new eatery in North St. Pete, introducing its renowned Detroit-style square pizza at 6925 4th Street North. Previously, this location housed The Bread Artisans bakery.

Robert Bair, a Detroit native and founder of Gringos Locos and Tin & Taco, is busy setting up recipes for a soft opening event. The first day is scheduled for Friday, January 23rd. On opening day, the pizzeria will offer up to 200 pizzas or shut its doors by 9 p.m., whichever comes first.

After the grand opening, the shop will operate from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day, remaining closed on Mondays. Bair learned the art of making Detroit-style pizza from Gus Guerra’s family, credited as the creator of this style. The pizza is recognized for its thick, crispy crust baked in well-oiled blue steel pans from Michigan. It also features a distinct combo of cheeses including Wisconsin brick cheese, Amish white cheddar, and mozzarella, with a caramelized edge known as "frico."

“I grew up eating this pizza, and I wanted to make sure we opened restaurants that truly did my city right,” Bair said to St. Pete Rising. Bair also mentioned that his wife inspired him to bring this idea to life.

The menu will include specialty items like the "Detroit Rob City," which blends Detroit red sauce, pinched sausage, pepperoni, whipped ricotta, hot honey, and basil. Other options include the P.B.J., with pineapple, bacon, jalapeno, and the Notorious P.I.Z., loaded with pepperoni.

Besides pizza, the venue will offer Detroit Coney beef hot dogs, topped with chili flown in from Detroit, yellow mustard, and chopped white onions. For dessert, sweet-tooths can try Detroit Dough Dots, fried dough in cinnamon sugar, served with hazelnut dipping sauce.

In 2022, Bair launched the first SoDough Square in Orlando. Its success led to two more Orlando locations in 2023. Even more expansion is planned, with a new spot opening in downtown Tampa in April and another at Orlando International Airport by July.

Bair cherishes his Detroit roots, remembering coney dogs after games. He carries these memories into his food ventures. “For the Coney dogs, we fly our chili in from Detroit,” noted Bair.

Tampa Bay's current food scene is buzzing with new spots like Sparkman Wharf, which includes a Detroit-style pizza place among its offerings. Food enthusiasts can follow SoDough Square on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.