Pizza Cutter Moving, But Not Far

After 32 years at 340 N. Center Street, Pizza Cutter plans to move.

But not far – they plan to move across the street from its current area. Owners Jim and Liz DeLano recently bought the property just north of Rayson Street, and hope to build in 2012. If their plan goes through, they'll go from leasing at their existing site to owning their own establishment.

“We’ve been leasing here for 32 years,” DeLano said. “The next step is to build. It’s still in the early stages. I don’t know the time frame or what’s involved, but it will be the same business.”

DeLano got into the restaurant business when he was 15. He worked at the original Papa Romano’s in Southfield, eventually becoming the pizzeria’s manager. At age 22 DeLano partnered with Papa Romano’s then-owner Ron Hancock when in November 1978 they opened Northville Station.

After five years DeLano bought Hancock out, changed the name to Pizza Cutter and revised the menu.

“The original menu had more fried foods, like deep fried fish and chicken,” DeLano explained. “After it became Pizza Cutter we went to subs, salads and pizzas. Everything is always made fresh. We make our own dough. Nothing is made off-site.”

The DeLano’s have been Northville residents for 25 years.

“It’s been interesting watching Northville change over the years,” Liz said. “There was a recession in 1978, and as the economy turned around the business grew. Improvements made in the downtown area have brought in more business. Northville has been good to us.”

The DeLano’s three children grew up seeing their parents work at the shop.

“If I had to bring them in for an hour or two, Jim would make them a fun-shaped pizza, like a fish, and they’d bring a toy to play with,” Liz recalled.

By the time the DeLano kids were in high school they worked at Pizza Cutter part-time.

“When they were about 15 they folded boxes and did dishes,” Liz said. “At around 16 they started to cut pizzas, make subs and wait on customers. They learned they had to work for things.”

Liz stayed home with the kids when they were young, and went back to school when they went to school. She took one night class a semester for ten years and now works full-time as a registered nurse at Providence Hospital in Novi.

The DeLano children all went through college and are pursuing their own careers. Laura is an accountant, Christy is a teacher and Ken is a police officer.

Two other Pizza Cutters were open for awhile in Novi and Livonia, but the DeLano’s have scaled back to the original.

“One is easier to run,” DeLano laughed.

Kathy Romer of Canton has worked at Pizza Cutter for 13 years. She started when the youngest of her three children, who are twins, were in middle school.

“Jim and Liz are really nice,” said Romer. “Whenever I needed time off, they’d work with me.”

Romer is looking forward to watching as the new building goes up across the street.

“I think it will be a fun experience,” she said. “It’s nice that they’re staying in Northville, when there are so many vacant buildings available in other cities.”