Back to school – Oakland University: Pizza party

Planet Pizza

Tucked away in a small shopping plaza just outside downtown Rochester lies one of the hidden gems of the pizza universe.

Planet Pizza serves up gourmet pies that are truly out of this world – in both taste and name. Take for instance, the Venus pizza, Planet’s Greek-style pie, topped with gyro meat, feta cheese, black olives, sliced tomatoes and onions. Or, the Mars, a Mexican-style pizza topped with fajita chicken, jalapeno peppers, tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, green peppers and salsa.

And even though Pluto is no longer considered a planet, it still gets a little love at Planet Pizza, as it serves as the name “healthy pie,” which is topped with green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and black olives.

If many of Planet's pies seem a little more sophisticated that your average pizza shop, well it's because owner and creator of its pizzas Jerry Neubeck made his living as a chef for 25 years. 

Planet Pizza is independently owned and operated, something that Neubeck says separates it from national chains and other pizzerias. Jerry likes to take the time to chat it up with and get to know his customers.

Though Planet doesn’t offer a student discount, at $1.50 a slice, is one really necessary? At around $13-$15 for larges, the gourmet pies are affordable as well.