Pizza is nothing new in Ottawa, but making pizza delivery trendy? Yea, it kinda is.
Stay Gold Pizza is one of few local businesses born amid the pandemic. It has no storefront, but a great social media presence and a killer menu. Inspired by a similar concept that owners Duong and Mike found in LA, the pair took that concept and applied it to Detroit-style pizza.
“Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular pizza with a thick crust that is crispy and chewy. It is traditionally topped with Wisconsin brick cheese, then tomato sauce layered on top of the other toppings (rather than directly onto the dough). “(Wikipedia)
“It took us about 4 months to launch. Neither of us were bakers and we had to really learn about the process of dough and cooking the pizzas with consistency.”
The duo took months to perfect the concept and the product. Then, when another wave of shutdowns closed indoor dining for a second time, they decided to launch.
Social media loved it instantly. The unique branding took to pizza lovers who regularly filmed and posted their ‘live unboxing’ (a process typically reserved for things that aren’t pizza).
Even Erik Karlsson has been photographed with a Detroit-style wheel (square?) in his hand.
“Karlsson saw our pizzas on social media and contacted us to order our most popular pizza, the Bee Sting. Erik is also a good friend of mine and had never tried or heard of the pizza venture we were embarking on, so it was funny to see him order a pie during our peak hour.”
Karlsson approved and a deep dish square shape: that’s not all that Ottawa seems to like about these pies. Stay Gold is made different, too.
“Although it looks like a Chicago deep-dish pizza, it has different characteristics in the dough. The inside is very airy like focaccia bread. Everyone seems to love the fact that there is no real crust… the pizza goes straight to the edge like a cliff and is usually covered in cheese that has caramelized during the second bake process.”
Duong and Mike are enjoying the social media love they’ve received from several happy customers and counting, as Stay Gold’s unique deep-dish pies pick up popularity in Ottawa. Stay Gold Pizza is available for pickup and delivery, and on most popular food delivery apps.
