The fermentation experts who brought Eastern Market Brewing Co. to Detroit are ready to unveil the flagship location for their new venture, Elephant & Co., on Saturday, July 13. This new location is their second, fresh from opening their Royal Oak location earlier this year.
In addition to Detroit-style pizza, the new location has 50 self-serve taps featuring beer from Eastern Market Brewing Co., cider, and wine. It also has a Dooped Donuts cafe with a robotic barista that makes cafe drinks and a mini-market featuring locally sourced crafts and produce.
Starting Saturday, Elephant & Co. Detroit is open throughout the day, seven days per week.
The focus on Detroit-style pizza was intentional, as the Elephant & Co. leadership team saw an opportunity to create a new brand focused on a product that pairs perfectly with their craft beer. Plus, both PIZZA & BEER have one common element that drives their flavor—fermentation.
“The dough sets our pizza apart,” said Elephant & Co. President, Pauline Knighton-Prueter in a statement. “We’re a brewery turned pizza company, and truly understand the importance of fermentation. It’s what’s made us one of Michigan’s fastest-growing breweries and now, Detroit’s best pizza.”
During the pandemic, the company first dabbled in Detroit-style pizza at its experimental arm, Ferndale Project, which launched home beer delivery with pizza as an add-on to drive sales. The brewing team developed those first pizza recipes, using their knowledge of fermentation and yeast to make complex doughs. It led to significant excitement—so much that the team had to put a hold on pizza when it sold out quickly each day, and they couldn’t keep up with demand.
“The excitement I feel with Elephant & Co. is reminiscent of the early days of opening our original brewery in Eastern Market,” reflected Dayne Bartscht, Eastern Market Brewing Co. Founder. “We saw a gap. Detroit had this fantastic brewing history, but there was not enough unique beer. Detroit is America’s pizza capital, but no one is innovating flavor. Here is our next opportunity.”
The grand opening menu for Elephant & Co. does push the boundaries of traditional pizza. Their coney-inspired pizza has Detroit-style chili, sliced hot dogs, onions, and yellow mustard. Another pizza, modeled after crab rangoons, has wontons, sweet chili sauce, and green onions. These are in addition to their classic offerings, like a Margherita pizza and the Spicy Pepperoni.
They’re also collaborating with McClure’s Pickles on a pizza fashioned after the Hudson’s Maurice Salad featuring the pickles mentioned earlier, plus olives with smoked ham and turkey. More partnerships with well-known Detroit restaurants are in the works—an ode to the company’s beginnings in craft beer, where brewery collaborations are normalized, and yet another example of how Elephant & Co. approach pizza differently than others in the industry.
The new location at 456 Charlotte Avenue can seat over 200 people inside and accommodate another 100 guests on the extensive heated patio, which allows it to be open much of the year. This Saturday, July 13, for its Grand Opening, Elephant & Co. will open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. with DJs, Detroit-style pizza, Eastern Market Brewing Co. beer, Dooped Donuts, and coffee.
Keep up with What Now Detroit’s restaurant, retail, and real estate scoop by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Twitter . Opening a restaurant? Browse our Preferred Partners .
Most Popular
Comments / 0