Not Ah-Beetz: 'Detroit-ish' Style Pizza Spot Bobbi's Hopes To Grab A Slice Of New Haven's Pizza Market

NEW HAVEN, CT — There's a new pizza spot in town. But this one isn't a New Haven style ah-beetz pie. And it's not round.

Bobbi’s, a new restaurant featuring "bold, square 'Detroit-ish'” style pizza, is open at 51 Broadway. It's ribbon-cutting with owner Ankit Chellani, executive chef and business partner Bryan Burke, and Mayor Justin Elicker is set for Thursday at 1 p.m., Yale University Properties announced.

Once considered a regional dish, Detroit-style pizza is now gaining mainstream popularity, a news release noted. "With a playful spin on pies that will widen local offerings, Bobbi’s aims to bring a sense of adventure, creativity, and community to New Haven’s incredible pizza story, not compete with it, Chellani said.

"The timing felt right: students, locals, and foodies are eager for something fresh, and Detroit-style pizza allows us to bring a new twist to the mix," Chellani said. "New Haven is already one of the most competitive pizza cities in the country, but Detroit-style pizza doesn’t exist here yet. We’re not trying to replace New Haven apizza — we’re celebrating pizza in a different form."

Detroit-style pan pizza features thick, square pies with caramelized cheese edges and airy, crunchy, chewy crusts. "Think thick and fluffy inside, golden and crunchy outside, with a steady rotation of new specialty pies on the menu," Burke said.

"The highlight of Detroit-style pizza, for me, comes from the traditional Wisconsin brick cheese melting down the sides, between the crust and the pan, to create these wonderful crispy cheese edges," the chef noted. "The fat content of the brick cheese gives the bottom of the crust a slight buttery flavor and almost griddled texture. The toppings range from classic to pretty adventurous."

At Bobbi’s, that’s where the “ish” comes in, Chellani explained.

"We’re in New Haven, not Detroit, and the ‘ish’ gives us permission to be playful and creative," Chellani said. "This style is still new to Connecticut, and we’re excited to introduce it. The brand is cheeky, fun, and welcoming — the experience feels fresh compared to what’s already out there."

The restaurant also offers smashburgers, wings, fries, salads, and desserts. Beer, wine, ready-to-drink cocktails, and local sodas are served.

This is Chellani’s second restaurant at The Shops at Yale. In 2019, he introduced Sherkaan, located just a few hundred yards away on Broadway, where Burke is also executive chef. Sherkaan is known for its seasonally rotating menu of Central and South Indian street food and creative dishes inspired by Indian-American culture.

"It’s exciting to take what I’ve learned at Sherkaan — creativity, bold flavors, and quality sourcing — and apply it in a completely different way with pizza," Burke said. "My restaurant career actually first started in pizza, 18 years ago, so this is a full-circle moment for me."