KALAMAZOO, MI –– A fusion of Indian cuisine and pizza is coming to Kalamazoo.
Pizzawala’s, a budding franchise with four locations across the United States, is opening its fifth location at 3620 W. Michigan Ave., near Munchie Mart and Western Michigan University’s campus.
The carryout restaurant started in 2012 as a mom-and-pop shop that served curry on crust.
In 2019, it rebranded to Pizzawala’s.
Pizzawala’s offers unique flavors, halal chicken, fresh ingredients and fresh dough.
The Forge pizza at Pizzawala’s.(Photo provided by Pizzawala’s)
A 26-year-old Kalamazoo native is the owner of the new Kalamazoo location: Gurwinder Singh, a graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School.
He is the youngest franchisor in the Pizzawala’s company.
“There really just was a demand of something different,” Singh said. “We do pizza and yeah, we emphasize the pizza, but we have our chicken wings, and those are my personal favorite.”
Pizzawala’s plans to open its Kalamazoo location in mid-March, with a soft opening beforehand.
When fully open, hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
The menu is broken into pillars and flavor profiles, guiding customers through an experience so they know what to expect.
The Glow pizza at Pizzawala’s.(Photo provided by Pizzawala’s)
The Velvet, Forge, Bloom, Glow, Pop and Beast pizzas are examples of staple pizzas on the menu, tied to three signaling adjectives.
For example the Velvet, which is a butter chicken pizza, is described as “smooth, creamy, comfort.”
Singh said that while it is still noticeably a pizza, it’ll be unlike any pizza you’ve tried before.
“One thing that really makes our fusion pizza unique is our flavors. It’s not your traditional just butter chicken … everything gets two toppings and three garnishments. And those garnishments really bring out the flavors,“ Singh said. ”Like, specifically for our chicken tikka pizza, we use some garnishments that really bring out some smoky flavors and get you that taste of authenticity. … The flavors are like no other.”
There is currently a Pizzawala’s in Canton Township at 45490 Ford Road. The other future Michigan location will be a sit-down Pizzawala’s brewery in East Lansing, which is currently under construction.
Dining and Cooking