Crispelli’s
By Lisa Howard
These Neighborhood Pizza Pies Are Definitely Amore.
AS THE POPULARITY OF THE TV SHOW CHEERS AMPLY illustrated, 
sometimes you just want to go where everybody knows your name. And sometimes you really want pizza.
Those two desires dovetail in the form of Crispelli’s, where Manager Eric Hitchcock says he’s never worked at a restaurant with so many regulars before. Coming from a guy who has spent literally half his life in the restaurant business, that’s saying something. “We have so many regulars that sometimes I feel like I spend my entire day sitting down and chatting with customers,” Eric says. “It feels like family coming in to visit. Some people have been here since Day One, some come in once or twice a week every week and some people make Fridays or Saturdays their regular pizza night. When they come in, you get excited to see them.”
That level of loyalty kept Crispelli’s humming even when they suddenly had to switch to curbside-only in the spring of 2020. While that service model presented a host of challenges, Eric jokes that he felt like he had created the first drive-thru pizza place because so many people rolled up to grab pizzas. “People were very understanding and receptive,” he says. “Even though the dining conditions and carryout conditions may not have been the best when the pandemic first hit, customers kept coming back because they’re fans of our food and fans of our hospitality.” He says the positive community in Berkley has made Crispelli’s his favorite place to work.
The restaurant continues to shift with the times. The bakery area was recently renovated, and the plan is to be open for breakfast service starting in 2022. Crispelli’s will also be celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2022, a milestone Hitchcock looks forward to. Some new items will be popping up on the bakery and breakfast menus (cherry croissants, anyone?) even as the restaurant continues its tradition of making its pizza dough from scratch every day and letting it ferment for several days to create a richer flavor.
“We don’t buy a lot of processed stuff,” he explains. “We get vegetables six days a week and we hand-slice and make everything here. It costs more in labor and hours, but being able to offer great gourmet food at an affordable price makes our efforts worth it.”
THAT DEDICATION TO PUTTING FOOD AND customers first probably explains why the Berkley Crispelli’s is the busiest of all of the locations. They also have restaurants in West Bloomfield, Clarkston, and Troy, plus there’s a Crispelli’s Bakery in Royal Oak. And then there’s the Crispelli’s food truck, which roams Metro Detroit and dishes up their signature pizzas at events like the Berkley Street Art Fest. All of that plus donating to local teams, organizations, and causes is part of Crispelli’s commitment to being a vibrant part of the community.
Along with updating the interior of the restaurant, Crispelli’s equipped its two patios with heaters last year, making it possible for diners to enjoy the great outdoors pretty much year-round. Carryouts are still in demand, too, and the Club Room continues to be a go-to venue for hosting private events like birthdays and rehearsal dinners. “It’s great being part of moments like that in people’s lives,” Eric says. “We know we wouldn’t be here without our customers, and we love to put our best face forward and take care of them.”
Crispelli’s Bakery & Pizzeria | 28939 Woodward Ave., Berkley MI 48072
248.591.3300
www.crispellis.com
