ANN ARBOR – Fresh, piping hot artisan pizza in three minutes flat. Impossible, right? Think again.
PizzaForno will be launching Ann Arbor’s first-ever automated pizza machine on 1214 S. University Ave. this weekend.
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Master licensees Tim Epko and Adam Page, both of whom live in Tree Town, have already launched five machines in Jackson, Flint and Tecumseh.
There are no people involved in the experience -- just you and a touch screen.
“It’s equivalent to walking up to a bank ATM on the outside of the building and the entire transaction takes place on the sidewalk,” said Epko.
There are no employees behind the wall. Instead, PizzaForno team members visit the machine once a day to clean and refill it and then leave.
“We are trying to disrupt (the market) and do something a little bit different. It’s very techy, very modern and aesthetically pleasing,” said Page.
Plus, they say it tastes really good. Epko said fresh, quality ingredients make PizzaForno pizzas stand out from run-of-the-mill pizza joints.
“If you look at some of our pizzas, our pepperoni pizza -- in total with the crust and everything -- just has a total of eight pure ingredients,” he said. “Other pizzas on the market have twenty-plus ingredients on their pizza. We are using very high quality ingredients. Once you taste it you’ll really be able to appreciate it.”
They describe the pizzas as Neapolitan-style with a thin yet fluffy crust.
Even though they’ve been around for two years in other locations, they see Ann Arbor as their flagship.
“Ann Arbor is home,” said Page. “It’s accepting of new businesses. We’re a little bit different and quirky. You have the university and a densely populated city that’s very diverse. Yes, there’s a lot of pizza places but there’s nothing like us.”
The duo plan to expand with up to five machines around Ann Arbor.
On Sunday, PizzaForno will be holding its grand opening from 1-4 p.m. with a neighborhood mixer theme. Epko, Page and other team members will be on site to meet local residents and hand out slices of pizza. There will also be live entertainment, raffles and giveaways including free pizza for a year.
“We’re really excited,” said Page. “We still believe that we’re in our infancy and we want to build awareness and acceptance. We want the community around Ann Arbor to know that a) We exist, we’re here and we’re a new company, and b) To try something a little bit different and a little unique.”
For more information, visit www.pizzaforno.com.