Buddy’s Pizza Closing Grand Rapids Location After Seven Years

After seven years in Grand Rapids, a Detroit-style pizza joint is closing its doors.

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Buddy’s Pizza announced it will permanently close its 28th Street location, bringing an end to its run in West Michigan. The restaurant opened at 4061 28th Street SE in Kentwood in 2019, and I remember the excitement at the time.

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West Michigan pizza fans were eager to welcome the Detroit-born chain, which has also earned national recognition, like being named the best regional fast-food restaurant in Michigan.

Buddy’s has a long and meaningful history in Michigan. It started as Buddy’s Rendezvous, a speakeasy at Six Mile and Conant in Detroit. In 1946, owner Gus Guerra is credited with creating what we now know as Detroit-style pizza. Using forged steel pans from nearby auto plants, Guerra and his team baked a thick, square pizza that would eventually become iconic.

Buddy's Pizza via Facebook

From those early days, Buddy’s expanded well beyond Detroit and now operates more than 20 restaurants across Michigan. But now, Grand Rapids is saying goodbye.

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The closure was shared in a January 20 Facebook post:

We regret to inform you that Buddy's Pizza Grand Rapids will be closing permanently at 10pm on Friday, January 23rd and we’d love to see you before then. We are grateful for the support and memories over the past seven years and proud we were able to bring The Original Detroit-Style Pizza to the Grand Rapids community. We hope to see you at one of our other locations the next time you visit the Metro-Detroit area.

If you are hoping to grab one last slice, you will need to stop in before 10 p.m. on Friday. After that, the closest Buddy’s locations will be on the east side of the state.

It is also worth noting that the 28th Street space has seen it share of change. Carrabba’s Italian Grill closed at that same address two years before Buddy’s opened. At the time, it was nice to see a new restaurant move into the space, and now we'll be watching to see what's next for the high-traffic location.

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Looking to explore West Michigan’s booming restaurant scene? More than 40 new dining destinations opened in 2025 across Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Wyoming, Hudsonville, and Holland—and the list keeps growing!

From fresh bakeries and authentic Mexican restaurants to Cajun eateries, burger joints, Vietnamese spots, vegan places, a footlong hot dog establishment, and even a beloved Grand Rapids breakfast and lunch favorite brought back to life, there’s something for every taste. Don’t miss the new bars and food trucks shaking things up too!

Gallery Credit: Janna