Michigan: The Unlikely Pizza Capital of the United States

Michigan’s Claim to the Pizza Throne

With over 30% of U.S. pizza sales coming from Michigan-based businesses and nearly 15% of worldwide sales, no other state or country comes close to Michigan in generating pizza sales on a national or global basis. So, the next time you savor a slice, remember that Michigan isn’t just about cars and lakes — it’s the epicenter of a pizza phenomenon that satisfies cravings around the world. We therefore declare that Michigan truly is the Pizza Capital of the United States and the world!

Study Methodology

We evaluated the pizza market in the United States and the entire world. We looked at consumption in terms of sales dollars and then who was selling the pizza. The pizza industry has everything from mom-and-pop stores to large pizza chains. After gathering sales dollars for the largest pizza chains (both domestically and internationally), we determined market share for the entire pizza market. This is where it became clear that the largest pizza chains have a significant share of the market both domestically and globally. Much like analysis of automobile manufacturers, all sales are attributable to the location of the headquarters of the pizza chain. We recognize not all of the sales for the “Michigan Four” happened in the State of Michigan but are attributable to the organization started in Michigan and still headquartered in Michigan.

About the Authors

Mr. James Hop chairs Northwood University’s Entrepreneurship Degree Program and is a McNair Scholar at the McNair Center for Free Enterprise at Northwood University. Dr. Timothy G. Nash, Northwood University senior vice president, emeritus, is the director of the McNair Center. Mr. Bob Thomas is the chief operating officer for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.