A group of local investors led by Andrew Dickow, Saber Ammori, and Kevin Denha has purchased Buddy’s Pizza from CapitalSpring in Nashville. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
CapitalSpring has invested in Buddy’s since 2018 and customers have been reporting decreasing quality across the chain, which has outlets in Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Canton Township, Clarkston, Dearborn, Detroit (two), Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe, Livonia, Novi, Okemos, Plymouth, Royal Oak, Shelby Township, Troy, Warren, and Woodhaven.
In turn, locations in west Michigan have opened and closed under CapitalSpring’s ownership.
“For us, this is deeply personal,” says Dickow, managing director of the Greenwich Capital Group investment bank in Birmingham, which specializes in food and beverage mergers and acquisitions. “I still remember walking to Buddy’s as a kid and grabbing a slice. The crust had that unmistakable crunch, the pizza felt premium in a way nothing else did, and it was the highlight of my day.
“Buddy’s has always been more than a meal. It is a part of Detroit’s fabric, and for a lot of us, it is tied to family, tradition, and memory.”
The new owners say they will focus on Buddy’s customer experience, product quality, brand reputation, and authenticity.
“We take immense pride in the team members who have built and sustained Buddy’s for generations,” says Ammori, co-founder (along with Denha) of Wireless Vision in Birmingham and real estate and retail investors. “Our goal is not to change what makes Buddy’s special, but to reinforce it. That starts with our employees, our commitment to authentic Detroit-style pizza, and delivering the level of customer service that our guests have come to expect from a brand with this kind of heritage.”
Denha says, “This is not just another transaction for us. It is a commitment to being good stewards of something that matters to Detroit.”
Buddy’s new owners also say they plan to make the iconic Detroit pizza available in the grocery store frozen food aisles.
“We see a meaningful opportunity to thoughtfully grow our frozen pizza offering so customers across the country can enjoy the same product experience that has made Buddy’s a Detroit staple for nearly 80 years,” says Dickow. “We are committed to doubling down on quality and authenticity and staying true to what the brand stands for.”
Gus Guerra started selling pizzas at Buddy’s Rendezvous in 1946. It’s still open as the original Buddy’s Pizza at 17125 Conant St. (near I-75 and the Davison Freeway). Guerra sold Buddy’s in 1953 and opened Cloverleaf Pizza on Gratiot Avenue in Eastpointe.
