Gluten free and love pizza? This Michigan eatery slings 1,400 pies a week

GENESEE TWP., MI — Keith Corlew has wanted to own a pizza shop since he was about five years old.

His love for pizza was so strong he remembers his grandmother Dorothy Fortier predicting this as his career path.

And his grandmother was absolutely right.

“It doesn’t matter what kind, I’ll eat just about any kind of pizza,” Corlew said. “That’s how much I love it.”

Corlew owns and operates Bob’s Original Pizza with his wife Christie and a number of employees bringing homemade dough and sauce recipes to the Flint area for nearly 18 years.

Keith Corlew bought Bob’s Original Pizza on May 22, 2006, but the Kearsley community staple has been around since 1963.

“The community has really taken us in,” Keith Corlew said. “We’re always trying to make the best product, and that goes down to our wholesalers that we work with — down to an individual pepper or an onion to ensure the best quality at the best price point for us and our customers.

“With that, we put a pie together that we’re very proud of. We try to keep our prices reasonable to our customers we serve, which is a lot of kids and families here.”

So what’s popular at Bob’s Original Pizza?

You could throw a dart at the menu and land on a winning meal choice every time.

Keith Corlew said two of their numerous styles of breadsticks have become best sellers. The first is a twisted breadstick with garlic butter and parmesan.

“Those addictive real fast,” he said.

The second popular option is the jalapeno popper bread, which is served in a classic pizza-shaped base. It has homemade dough covered with garlic cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, butter, garlic and parmesan, served with sauce on the side.

“They’re very popular. I like it with bacon on it,” said employee Rachael Hart, who has worked at Bob’s for the last six years. “That’s what I always push for, and encourage customers to try. It’s the perfect appetizer for a party, March Madness, Super Bowl and other sports gatherings.”

Corlew said each pizza is handcrafted from scratch with a handmade dough and sauce recipe, and top quality ingredients.

He said the restaurant sells a lot of specialty pizzas, including their top sellers: The BLT pizza, made with extra bacon, mozzarella cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato, as well as the ultimate supreme pizza, which is made with pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, ham and bacon.

Texture is everything when you talk about pizza, he said.

“Our texture is spot on, and our sauce is Italian style. It’s not super sweet and it’s not super spicy. It’s a good mix,” Corlew said. “Our salads are better than anyone else we know of, and so it is one of our biggest points of pride too. … People will drive a long way for our salads, breadsticks and pizza.

“If you’re looking to try something that is the perfect change from pizza, try our Stromboli. It’s just like a pizza folded, but no sauce,” he said. “You use it for dipping. If you want the toppings, but you want it a little bit different, try the Stromboli. It’s crispier and delicious.”

Corlew said the eatery slings out an average of 1,400 pies a week of varying sizes to customers throughout the community.

Able to order at anytime, but especially a hit for their catering business, Corlew said the pasta dishes are a top order, including options of full pans of mostaccioli, chicken alfredo and lasagna.

But just because it’s not on the menu, Corlew has full faith in his wife in creating new and exciting options based on one-on-one conversations with parties hiring Bob’s Original Pizza as a catering option.

Corlew said she’s even created a breakfast menu for weddings that includes chicken and waffles.

“We do a lot of community work with Kearsley schools at their sports, dances and other activities, as well as catering for open house/graduation parties and church, wedding and funeral gatherings,” said Keith Corlew.

One of the restaurant’s proudest points is their availability for gluten free options for customers.

One of the Corlew’s daughters has celiac disease, and within her dietary restrictions and needs, she is gluten free. So, they wanted to ensure that she and anyone with gluten free needs were met in their food preparation.

Christie Corlew said the restaurant offers a gluten free pizza crust, a gluten free flatbread, two types of cauliflower crust, as well as dairy free cheese.

“We make sure we don’t do any cross contamination in prep as well as while it cooks. We have a deck oven, so there is no air blown around like a conventional or conveyer oven,” she said. “We know the importance of offering this up. A lot of people can’t digest gluten, and that could make them sick. It’s so important to us that there is no cross contamination.”

The gluten free crust is more like an English muffin style texture, she said, while the flatbread is a little softer.

The cauliflower crust — the thick one — is pretty spongy like an angel food cake. The thin cauliflower crust gets nice and crispy in the oven, she said.

And, to clarify, Bob’s Original Pizza makes original crust pizza as well, for all those interested in the traditional option.

The Corlews moved the physical location of the business on May 22, 2023 to its current location at 5534 Richfield Road in Genesee Township.

Hours for Bob’s Original Pizza are 2-9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

“Bob’s is a huge staple in this community. We have a lot of customers…