Pizza Parliament Opening TC Location

Pizza Parliament – a popular pizza chain operating three food trucks in West Michigan – is opening its first brick-and-mortar location in Traverse City. The company will take over the restaurant space inside The Workshop Brewing Company this month currently occupied by Archie’s Food Truck. Archie’s residency inside Workshop – which offers an incubator program for restaurateurs – is coming to an end, Archie’s owner Jon Petrie tells The Ticker. (Petrie notes Archie’s will still operate its food truck this summer downtown and has additional news to share in the coming weeks). Archie's last day inside Workshop will be Sunday, February 19.

Pizza Parliament owner Justin Gunnink is targeting a soft opening inside Workshop February 22-23 and a grand opening weekend February 24-26. “We’ve been playing with the idea of a brick-and-mortar location the last couple years,” he says. “We wanted to have a shared space with a brewery. It’s a perfect set-up; people can order drinks at the bar and food from us. I foresee that as the future of a lot of restaurants. It’s what the younger crowds want.”

Pizza Parliament makes its own custom dough and sauce and will offer 9-inch and 14-inch hand-tossed pizzas, in addition to bread sticks, cinnamon sticks, and salads. Pizza names feature playful political puns; the veggie pizza is a Green Party, the popular breakfast pizza is the Bernie Scrambles, while traditional options include the Bi-Partisan pepperoni pizza and the Majority Leader cheese pizza. Gunnink says he’ll also offer a BBQ chicken pizza (the Southerner) and some creative specials like a Reuben pizza and a pickle pizza.

In addition to dining in at Workshop, customers will be able to order takeout as well as delivery through Door Dash and Uber Eats. “We want to be the last place in town available for late-night pizza takeout,” says Gunnink. Initial hours to start will be Monday-Thursday 3pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday 12pm-11pm, and Sunday 12pm-10pm. However, once a planned takeout window is installed, Pizza Parliament will operate until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, Gunnink says.