Giant slices of slightly thin crust pizza topped with cupped pepperonis are what made Frank’s Pizzeria a staple in Wyandotte. Begining in 1952, the family run pizza shop has left quite the mark on the downriver community.
It all started with Frank Persichillo, who made hand-stretched pizzas with his signature blend of cheeses. He passed it along to his kids, who then passed it along to their kids. In 2020, Joshua Cade and his two partners Brandon and Zane Hunt decided to take it over to keep the tradition alive.
All three are from Downriver and grew up going to Frank’s. Cade fondly recalled going to the restaurant with his Grandpa and crawling all over their red vinyl booths.
After a brief close for a remodel, they reopened the doors to the popular pizza joint in July of 2021.
In terms of the remodel, they wanted to give a similar look and feel, just update it a bit. The booths are still red, but are more modern in style. They exchange the various light fixtures and carpeted floor, for sleek-looking sconces and a black and white tile floor.
As for the pizza, they didn’t want to mess with what made Frank’s famous. They spent months with the original owners to learn all the secrets to making the pizza “Frank’s way.”
They did, however, add some new items to the menu. The Hunt brothers actually started a popular Detroit Style pizza franchise outside of the state and brought their ideas back with them. They now serve up Detroit-style deep dish pizzas with a rim of cheddar cheese along the edges, giving it a crispy cheesy crust. Classics they did keep include the popular burger pizza which is done Frank’s way and is topped with ground beef, green peppers, and red onions.
If you would like to try Frank’s Family Pizzeria they are open for dine-in, carry-out, and delivery. It is located at 3144 Biddle Avenue in Wyandotte.