Brian Jackson’s friend Andre Styles persuaded him to drive to Toledo to try “this crazy pizza spot.” Now they’re partners with founder Matthew Wojtowicz. | Photo by J. Adrian Wylie
Well before cats and weirdness became notable keywords of this presidential election, a Toledo pizza joint embraced them as branding elements.
Matthew Wojtowicz, an executive with another Toledo pizza chain, was the man with the offbeat ideas. Not getting any traction with them there, he left to launch Pizza Cat in 2016.
Meanwhile Detroit DJ Brian Jackson (formerly heard on WGPR 107.5) and his friend and colleague Andre Styles were hungry.
“One day we were driving around looking for some good food,” Jackson relates. “[Andre] was like, ‘Man, I know this crazy pizza spot in Toledo. You got to come try it out with me.’ So we drove all the way to Toledo from Detroit to try this pizza out, and it was just mind-blowing, amazing. We kept taking that trip.”
They eventually met Wojtowicz, then signed on as partners. The brand with the trademarked motto “keep pizza weird” has grown from a single takeout shop to several locations, including a new full-service restaurant at Packard and State, Pizza Cat Max.
When their first sit-down location in Greektown closed after two years, they figured their concept would do better near a university. They considered Ypsilanti, Lansing, and midtown Detroit before settling on a centrally located storefront in Ann Arbor that, with no parking, has seen eight restaurants come and go over the past forty years.
“That’s probably like the challenges that I’ve accepted my whole life,” says Jackson, thirty-six, who gave up DJing in favor of entrepreneurship when his daughter was born three years ago. “I kind of like challenges like that.”
He’s also a self-described “very picky eater,” and amid the broad array of specialty options at Pizza Cat—spicy Reuben, anyone?—he found the ability to build your own pie from the crust up appealing.
In addition to traditional crusts there are three gluten-free versions (cauliflower, hemp, and a flour that includes corn, buckwheat, and rice), as well as a chicken-based keto crust. Dozens of sauces and as many toppings make for countless combinations for vegans and carnivores alike. What all pies have in common are their thinness and cheese and toppings spread all the way to the edge, leaving no crust uncovered.
The restaurant, with a full bar strong on shots and quirky cocktails, pops with bold colors. The karaoke stage is carpeted like a 1980s bowling alley. Menus are bound in rainbow-swirled Trapper Keepers. There’s a nook with a gaming station. DJs will spin music Fridays and Saturdays, and Jackson promises movie and game nights too.
“Would I want to call this a club? No. Would I want to call this a regular restaurant? No, I wouldn’t even try to compare the experience,” he says.
Pizza Cat Max, 640 Packard. (734) 948–4204. Sun.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–midnight, Fri. & Sat 10 a.m.–2 a.m. pizzacat.com
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