Pizza and golf are par for the course at one of the area’s newest and most unique restaurants that after just a few months in business is already putting up an impressive scorecard with local pizza reviewers – somebody needs to get U-M grad and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy over there for one of his famous reviews.
Hometown Pizza & Under Par Simulators, located at 5060 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor, is getting as many good reviews as Tiger Woods got birdies back in the day.
Let’s check out the leaderboard:
Megan: “Hometown Pizza Ann Arbor has been AWESOME every time I’ve had it. Plus, they have been very supportive of our events at Dexter High School which is greatly appreciated!”
Rita: “Very fast delivery and very hot pizza with great flavor.”
Billy: “Ordering online is super user friendly and delivery was crazy fast. Pizza was fantastic! My new favorite! Hands down best pizza in this area!”
Co-owners Alex Willnow and Hunter Comstock opened the restaurant in January and so far – so good!
“We have been doing pretty well,” says Willnow. “Obviously, it takes time to get the word out completely, but many different forms of marketing, and trying to work with the schools in the area has helped. The community has really liked the fact that we are a ‘local’ place, coming from Adrian, Tecumseh areas and not a national chain. They seem to have been looking for that option so we are glad to fit that category.”
They certainly fit in the “unique” category as well.
The front area is their take-out/delivery pizza space and the back will feature three Golf Simulators, equipped with bar style seating for each simulator bay. The simulator area will be equipped with TVs, comfortable viewing areas, and a great atmosphere to enjoy golfing with friends/family. The Under Par Simulators will not be open until the end of summer.
So, why golf? Well, that’s an easy one.
“I was in the golf industry for 10 years, eventually becoming the Head Golf Professional at Hills of Lenawee (previously Lenawee Country Club),” says Willnow. “I began working winters at Midway Market/Hometown Pizza for a good friend of mine (who is also a minority investor in this new location) and after three years of doing that I decided I wanted to leave the golf industry to try and buy the business.”
It took Willnow over two years to finally get that process complete, becoming owner in September 2020.
“One year after that was when I implemented my knowledge of the golf industry and the community into opening Under Par Simulators,” he said. “Hunter started working for me in 2020 and very quickly realized he wanted to pursue owning his own business. He was a large part of helping get Under Par Simulators started, and will become the primary owner of this new location over time.”
Hometown Pizza & Under Par Simulators are offers a locally owned and made-fresh daily product. They prep a large majority of their ingredients on a daily basis.
“The other significant factor that separates us from other traditional chain pizza locations is our cheese quality,” Willnow says. “We use 100 percent mozzarella cheese that we shred ourselves every daily. It truly is a large part of what separates us.”
They also offer freshly made subs (8’ or 16”), calzones, wings, salads and breadsticks.
“As for our simulators, from talking with many customers and witnessing first hand other golf simulator businesses, we have found a way to offer the highest quality software/experience at a more affordable rate,” Willnow says. “Other locations have to account for the labor cost when pricing their time slots but we utilize our employees in the pizza side to cut that cost. Which in return allows us to offer that more affordable price to customers.”
Being a part of the community and a good neighbor is another staple of Hometown Pizza & Under Par Simulators.
“We are looking to truly become a part of the Dexter and Ann Arbor community and hoping to become sponsors within the schools and offer discounts for faculty and staff,” Willnow says. “We also are going to be offering discounted special menus to many of the local businesses in our area. For example, if a local business likes to do a staff lunch every Friday, or every other week we are going to provide them a discounted rate where we could set that up on a recurring basis. We really want to be a big part of this amazing community.”
For more information or to order online, go to https://hometownpizzami.hungerrush.com. Call (734) 369-9303.
MAIN PHOTO: Alex Willnow (left) and Hunter Comstock (right).
