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How Detroit-Style Pizza Grew from a Trailer to 25 Locations in Just Seven Years

·40 min·2 clips

Julian frames the episode around Detroit-style pizza. He introduces Welsh as the president of Via 313 and quickly anchors the story in the brand's path from a trailer in Austin to over 25 units. The conversation has a familiar rhythm. It moves like an on-the-record restaurant interview, with a host who knows the pressure of running restaurants and keeps steering the talk toward what actually changes when a concept scales. Welsh and Julian cover the brand's growth arc. They talk about how the brothers behind Via 313 built a business that keeps adding locations while still trying to protect the product and the experience that made people care about it. The Savory Restaurant Fund comes up as part of that expansion story. Julian and Welsh treat the partnership as one of the things that has helped the brand grow while avoiding mistakes that often trip up restaurant companies. Off-premise is a major theme. Welsh says the brand keeps pushing its app and website because direct ordering matters, while third-party partners still play a large role for guests who want pickup or delivery instead of a sit-down meal. Detroit-style pizza changes the logistics. The longer bake time and the way the product travels shape how the team thinks about boxes, delivery, and the customer experience once the food leaves the kitchen. Favor enters the mix. Welsh says the team has started working with Favor in Texas and is also testing DoorDash meal promotions in Houston with offers built around a simple price point. The brand is not standing still. Delivery already makes up almost half the business, and Welsh describes it as part of the model that will keep growing even alongside full-service dining. The episode also nods to a newly released food truck. Via 313 is exploring a mini brick-and-mortar model on West 6th, aimed at spaces where a larger restaurant would not make sense and where takeout and third-party orders can do the heavy lifting. That keeps the focus on execution. By the end, the interview settles into a clear story about product, growth systems, off-premise strategy, and the choices that let a pizza brand expand without losing practical discipline.

As heard by us

A practical look at Detroit-style pizza growth, off-premise mix, and the systems behind expansion.

Detroit-style pizza is the anchor here, with Via 313 president Glenn Welsh tracing the jump from an Austin trailer to a brand with more than 25 units.

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