Cottage Inn Pizza

Cottage Inn Pizza is an American regional franchise pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The first Cottage Inn restaurant opened in Ann Arbor in 1948^[1] and remains the company's flagship today. There are currently over 50 franchised stores in Michigan and Ohio.^[2]

History

The Original Cottage Inn

The first Cottage Inn restaurant, opened in 1948, still stands in its original location at 512 East William, Ann Arbor. Although it started as a coffee shop, pizza was introduced in 1959.^[3] It has the distinction of being the first restaurant in Ann Arbor to serve pizza.^[4] The current owner acquired the building in 1961.

The restaurant went through renovations in 1975, 1980, and 1987. In 1993, the restaurant expanded again to include a second floor and banquet room facilities. Due to its proximity to the University of Michigan campus, the Original Cottage Inn is often frequented by students and visitors.^[5][6][7] The restaurant also has an established relationship with the Ann Arbor community, participating in community service events such as feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving.^[8]

In early 2014, Cottage Inn announced a plan to expand nationally using a franchising business model. The company is accepting applications from potential franchisees through their franchising website.^[9]

Cottage Inn Carryout

By 1978, Cottage Inn's continued growth required the formation of a second company to devote to delivery services. As a result, Cottage Inn Carryout & Delivery, Inc. was established. The first Cottage Inn store under this new company was founded at Packard and Hill streets in Ann Arbor. In June 1986, the first franchise opened in Ypsilanti. In 2003, the new corporate headquarters and distribution center opened in Ann Arbor.^[10]

Menu

Cottage Inn offers a variety of pizza, perhaps most well known for their specialty gourmet pizzas, along with various crust styles and toppings. Additional menu items include Italian-American entrees, salads, sandwiches, breadsticks, beverages, and desserts.^[11]

In 2009, Cottage Inn expanded its menu to include gluten free pizzas and cheese bread due to a growing demand for pizza from customers who suffer from celiac disease. The Brighton location was the first to introduce gluten free pizza, which has since spread to the rest of the Cottage Inn locations.^[12] In May 2013, Cottage Inn launched gluten free sandwiches.^[13]

Sponsorships

In 2012, Cottage Inn partnered with the Michigan International Speedway to become the official pizza vendor on NASCAR weekends.^[14] Although the original plan was for Cottage Inn to provide 24-hour delivery service to customers in the campsites, logistical and staffing issues required the company to scale back its services.^[15] Cottage Inn also serves as a pizza vendor for other events held at the Michigan International Speedway, including the Faster Horses Festival.^[16]

References