LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Crispy bacon, mozzarella cheese fresh shredded lettuce and tomatoes along with a drizzle of mayo is back on the pizza crusts of Jet’s Pizzas due to customer demand. The BLT Pizza first showed up on their menu in June of 2022 and it was removed in February of 2021 during the pandemic era – but the pizza franchise, known for it’s rectangle-shaped pizzas, is bringing back a fan favorite.
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The return of the BLT Pizza has been confirmed by John Jetts, CEO and president of Jet’s Pizza, who said in a press release, “I guess it’s true, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone’. We were overwhelmed with the number of customers who reached out to us, posting on social media, and even starting petitions to bring the BLT back. We are so excited to add this fan favorite back on the menu for good. We know many of our customers have been eagerly anticipating this announcement.”
If the pizza was such a crowd-pleaser, why was it removed in the first place and how was it able to return? Kevin Tosolt, Director of Marketing at Jet’s Pizza, told The Takeout that the pizza was discontinued “to help ease operations” and that its return started with one person who wanted it brought back. Tosolt said, “One customer started a petition to bring it back. We got dozens and dozens of emails, calls, comments on social media about wanting to bring it back. After removing the item, we saw how there is a cult following to this pizza. We were surprised to see the number of customers demanding it back.”
The press release from Jet’s Pizza said they will also be introducing a few limited time pizzas later in 2023 but no more information was given about what kinds of toppings those pizzas might have.
Jet’s Pizza was founded as “Jetts Party Shoppe and Pizzeria” by brothers Eugene and John Jetts in 1978 in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights. The company now has more than 400 stores in 20 states with 163 Jet’s locations in Michigan.
According to the history of Jet’s Pizza on their website, in 1978, Jet’s Pizza founder, 23-year-old Eugene Jetts was about to buy a new home. But on the way there, his passion for pizza took over. While he did sign a lease that day, it wasn’t for a home. Instead, he leased a space in Sterling Heights, MI that would become Jetts Party Shoppe and Pizzeria, now known as Jet’s Pizza.
The $20K he used to start the business was saved up with the financial help of his parents. The Detroit News said that Eugene had a dream of selling pizza to Michiganians, although he also told them, “My parents thought I was crazy.”
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But just like that, a legacy was born. A legacy Eugene and his brother and partner, John Jetts didn’t realize they were creating. Eugene and John opened a second store in 1986, using breakthrough technology with the use of a conveyor oven. In 1985 the Jetts Party Shoppe ditched its original name, dropped a “t” and became Jet’s Pizza. With dreams to grow the brand Eugene and John started, their cousins Jim and Jeff Galloway joined ownership in 1987. By 1998, the first franchised store opened its doors.
The company website says a lot has changed since opening that first party shoppe in 1978 including the name and the menu. But what hasn’t and will never change is their commitment to quality ingredients. Since day one, Jet’s has used premium mozzarella from Grande Cheese and Mama Jetts’ secret sauce recipe – and they have made deep dish history by making Detroit-style pizza a household name.
