Buddy’s to donate all opening day sales to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Buddy’s Pizza, creator of the Original Detroit-Style Pizza, is joining together with partners the Grand Rapids Griffins and Grand Rapids Children’s Museum to celebrate the opening of their new carryout restaurant, located at 3597 Alpine Ave. in Walker, Michigan.
A grand opening celebration is slated for 11 a.m. on Monday, March 6, and will include a special visit from Grand Rapids Griffins Mascot Griff and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Buddy’s will donate all opening day sales to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
The new restaurant is the 22nd Buddy’s location in Michigan. It’s also the third in west Michigan, which includes two full-service restaurants, one in Grand Rapids and one in Portage. This is the first Buddy’s carryout location to open in west Michigan.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support of the community since opening our first Grand Rapids location in 2019,” said Buddy’s Pizza Chief Brand Officer Wes Pikula. “Expanding in Grand Rapids will help us further connect with the community and provide Detroit-Style Pizza fans a convenient carryout option close to home.”
Buddy’s first began its partnership with the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum when it opened its full-service location in 2019 and has continued to partner through sponsorships and programming, including the “Little GR” museum exhibit, which incorporates Grand Rapids favorites like Buddy’s Pizza.
“The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is thrilled to partner with Buddy’s Pizza,” said Grand Rapids Children’s Museum CEO Maggie Lancaster. “We love seeing our guests bake pizza dough, place toppings and deliver pizzas to adults at the Buddy’s Pizza Exhibit. Exploring food preparation through play grows the next generation of culinary arts. Our goal is to have more families play at our Buddy’s Exhibit, and then go experience the real thing – because it’s the best pizza.”
The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum has two floors of hands-on interactive exhibits and daily drop-in programs that encourage discovery and learning through play. It is an environment for play, it advocates for the value of play and it builds minds through play.
Buddys’ partnership with the Grand Rapids Griffins began in November 2021. The company sponsors a variety of the team’s programs, including Griffins Kids Club and Hometown Heroes, an initiative that honors local veterans during home games. Buddy’s is also involved with the Griffins through the Friends and Family 4-Pack, which can be purchased at every Saturday game and includes four or more game tickets, $20 or more in concession cash and a coupon for a free cheese pizza from any participating Buddy’s location.
The restaurant will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Customers can look forward to fan favorites like Buddy’s authentic Original Detroit-Style Pizza, the All-Corner 8-square, antipasto salad, Buddy Bread and more.
In 1946, Buddy’s Pizza became the birthplace of the Original Detroit-Style Pizza. For more than seven decades, the restaurant has been feeding patrons and earning accolades from fans across the nation, including recognition from CBS This Morning, USA Today, Zagat, Food Network, Pizza Today, Eater, Travel Channel, and more. Consistently voted Detroit’s number one pizza locally, regionally and nationally, the Farmington Hills-based restaurant remains true to its Detroit roots, legacy and traditions that began on the corner of Six Mile and Conant years ago. For more information, visit www.buddyspizza.com or connect with Buddy’s on Facebook (www.facebook.com/buddyspizza), Twitter (@BuddysPizza) and Instagram (@BuddysPizzaDET).
The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum (GRCM) celebrates childhood and the joy of learning by providing an interactive, hands-on environment that inspires learning and encourages discovery and learning through play. Children direct their own learning with two floors of hands-on interactive exhibits where they play with slippery bubbles, study a live beehive, learn the magic of mirrors and more. GRCM’s daily drop-in programs are designed with the purpose of educating the whole child — encompassing all subject areas as well as the individual learning styles of children preschool through elementary school age. GRCM is an environment for play, advocates for the value of play and builds minds through play. GRCM has been a playful destination in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. for more than 25 years and two million guests.
For more information and daily schedule of programming and events, please visit grcm.org.
