Who Owns Tru Pizza?

Many Michiganders know that Tru Pizza originally started in 2014 as Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria. Opened in Troy by Gabe Hertz, he started the restaurant due to his daughter’s Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which prevented her from eating gluten and nuts.

In May 2019, Achille (Ace) DiNello purchased the business. He changed the name to Tru Pizza, but maintained the dedicated gluten free kitchen and menu. Since taking over the business, he has offered franchising options to independent owners to expand the brand.

Achille DiNello owns quite an impressive business portfolio. Aside from Tru Pizza, he also owns Melting Moments, New York Pizza Pie, and recently acquired Halo Burger in Flint and Cops & Donuts in 2026.

What’s On The Menu at Tru Pizza?

Despite the name, Tru Pizza serves more than just pizza. They also offer calzones, wraps, pasta, salad and even soups! Their menu also includes appetizers such as chicken wings and fries. Oh, and they offer both New York Thin Crust and Detroit Deep Dish pizzas.

Tru Pizza Locations

Troy – 1937 W Maple Rd Troy, MI 48084

The original restaurant is still owned by Achille. However, general manager Jake DeFisher runs the day to day operations. It’s located in the Cambridge Crossings Shops plaza.

You’ll find it on Maple Rd between Crooks Rd and Coolidge Hwy. It offers a dining room that seats up to 50 people. The original Troy location is open 7 days a week, and they offer delivery. Open Monday – Thursday 11 to 8:30 pm, Friday & Saturday 11 -9 pm , Sun 11 – 8 pm

Plymouth – 41116 Five Mile Rd Plymouth, MI 48170

This franchise location is owned and operated by the same family who owns and operates Rumi’s Passion. In fact, there is a walkway between the two locations so you can shop at the bakery while you wait for your order to be prepared!

This Plymouth Tru Pizza location operates mainly as a take out pizza business. The shop includes 3 tables for seating, and guests are welcome to sit at one of the tables at Rumi’s Passion during normal business hours. Open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am – 8 pm.

Wyandotte – 3144 Biddle Avenue Wyandotte, MI 48192

Anthony Cipolla opened the Tru Pizza Wyandotte franchise location in January 2026. For those familiar with the area, the business operates in the former Frank’s Family Pizzeria storefront.

Anthony is closing this location as of August 30th, 2026. It will transition into a different pizza place. While it will have gluten free options, it will not be a 100% dedicated gluten free business.

Food Truck – Pops Up at Various Locations

Anthony Cipolla opened the food truck in the summer of 2025. Someone within the Tru Pizza chain is looking to take over the food truck, as Anthony is leaving the Tru Pizza franchise.

Follow them on their Facebook and Instagram to see where they will be next. They often pop up for Detroit Street Eats and at the Eastern Market.

They maintain a smaller menu than the restaurants due to limited space. They offer breadsticks, 3 grilled wraps, 5 flavors of calzones and pizzas, and their popular cinnamon sticks and elephant ears.

Is the Menu the Same at all Locations?

As mentioned above, each location offers a version of the original menu. Each location uses the same Tru Dough recipe. However not all options are available at each location.

The Plymouth location offers pizza, fries, pasta, salads, wraps and elephant ears & cinnamon sticks for dessert. They are experimenting with wings & chicken strips, but they are not available just yet. They do not offer soup because Rumi’s Passion makes it next door.

Is their Menu Free from Other Food Allergens?

Tru Pizza uses no peanuts, sesame, or fish in any of their menu items. You can see their complete allergen list on the original Troy website. The allergen list discloses menu items that contain eggs, dairy, soy and corn.

A disclaimer on the Troy website states “*Vegan cheese uses coconut oil. Cake rolls and cookies are produced in another facility that may contain tree nuts and peanuts.”

What Type of Oil Do They Use for Cooking?

The Troy location and Plymouth location both use canola oil. The website for the Wyandotte locations claims they use “use 100% canola oil in all fryers. Chicken and dairy products are cooked in dedicated fryers separate from vegan items.”

Do They Have Vegetarian or Vegan Options?

The dough for their pizza and calzones contain no animal products. They offer vegan cheese for pizzas, calzones and pasta dishes.

Do They Have Dessert Options?

Yes! Tru Pizza is famous for their gluten free elephant ears and cinnamon sticks with frosting. The original location in Troy also offers a S’mores Pizza.

Do They Serve Alcohol?

No.

Do They Offer Weekly Discounts?

The Troy location offers three different lunch combos from 11 am – 2 p m, Monday thru Friday. For $8.99 you can order 2 slices of pizza with a foundation drink, or 1 slice of pizza with a drink and either a side salad or a cup of soup.

The Plymouth location lunch combo is 2 slices and a can of pop for $10.

The Wyandotte locations offer a lunch combo from 11 am – 2 pm. Combo options include Two Slices of Pizza + Drink for $9.99 or a Chicken Wrap + Fries + Drink for $15.99.

Do They Deliver?

The Troy location utilizes third party delivery companies to deliver to local areas . The Plymouth location offers 3rd party delivery through Uber Eats, Doordash & GrubHub.

Tru Pizza is one of many Michigan gluten free dining options I recommend on my blog. Looking for options in bigger cities? Check out my suggestions for Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Plus, check out my Michigan gluten free baker list!

Find Tru Pizza on Social Media

• Tru Pizza Troy, MI Facebook | Instagram
• Tru Pizza Plymouth, MI Facebook | Instagram
• Tru Pizza Food Truck Facebook | Instagram

The post Tru Pizza Co. – 100% Gluten Free Pizza in Michigan appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Every person should visit Marquette at least once in their life. Located in Michigan’s majestic Upper Peninsula, it’s located on the banks of Lake Superior, and home to Presque Isle Park. It’s also home to the iconic Ore Dock, which is popular with photographers.

For those with Celiac Disease, a new “must visit” is the recently opened, Honey Haven Baking Company. This dedicated gluten free bakery gets its name from its popular Honey Sourdough Sandwich Bread made with local honey.

I recently communicated with Bailey Knight, owner of this new gluten free paradise. Read below about the mission of her bakery, and where you can find her gluten free goodies.

1. What inspired you to become a dedicated gluten free baker?

I have loved baking for as long as I can remember. It is very fun to experiment and
taste test all at the same time. My focus for gluten-free is because I have Celiac
Disease.

I was diagnosed at 24 after struggling my whole life without a clue what was causing my issues. I knew our area needed more gluten-free options and that a bakery could bring so much joy to those who can’t have baked goods from non-dedicated gluten-free bakeries.

2. Are there other highlights of your baked goods? Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free etc.?

All of our baked goods are gluten, dairy, egg, peanut, sesame, and soy free. We
do not use nuts in our baking, but do not label ourselves nut-free due to Coconut
Oil being in our buttercream and muffins. (Technically coconuts are a fruit.) We recently switched from oat milk to rice milk in our baked goods, so our baked goods would be accessible to those who are oat intolerant.

3. What steps do you take to guarantee your products are gluten-free?

We are a dedicated Gluten-Free bakery. All of our products are gluten-free,
and there is a strict no-gluten policy for all staff who work here. We only use certified gluten free flour blends, including King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour blend. We are also in the process of seeking gluten free certification for our bakery.

4. Can you share a story of a customer who’s been greatly impacted by Honey Haven Baking Company?

For this, I would like to share the story of my son and how I started to get back into
baking. I had given up bread and all things baked goods when I was diagnosed with
Celiac. When my youngest son was no longer able to have dairy, both of our lives
changed drastically.

My then 2-year-old is a huge chocolate lover, specifically milk chocolate. I knew I needed to come up with a solution so that he could still have the things he loves, like chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake, that I could safely bake without using regular flour. Through this journey, I created my first round of Gluten, Dairy, Egg, and Soy-Free bread and chocolate cake.

The joy on my son’s face when he got that first chocolate cupcake is something I will never forget. Now, my son will never have to miss out on a cupcake for his birthday, a slice of fresh bread at dinner, or a chocolate chip cookie as a treat.

5. What would you like consumers to know about Honey Haven Baking Company?

I would like for people to know that we are very dedicated to offering inclusive
options for those with food allergies. Our mission is to make sure that all can feel
included in any occasion. We hope to start offering shipping in the months to come.

Also, we hope to encourage local restaurants to stock our gluten free bread and buns. So far, Slap Shot Negaunee offers our gluten free bread for sandwiches. Hopefully we’ll be able to update you soon on restaurants that offer our buns for burgers!

Honey Haven Baking Company Location and Hours

603 N 3rd St. Marquette, MI, 49855
Hours Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
906-251-8043 – (Best contact method for ordering)
Website (coming soon) | Facebook | Instagram | Email

Honey Haven Baking Company is one of many gluten free bakers across the state of Michigan.  Click this link to see a comprehensive list of all the gluten-free bakeries in Michigan, complete with interactive map! Looking for more local eats? Check out my list of gluten free baked good options at Michigan Farmers Markets. 

The post Honey Haven Baking Co. – Gluten Free Marquette appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Where is Thrive Dining Hall at MSU?

Situated near the center of campus, Thrive resides inside Owen hall. Previously exclusively for graduates, Michigan State opened this hall to all students. Because of the uniqueness of Thrive’s meal offerings, the school reserved rooms for students with food restrictions.

Due to its small size, Owen became an ideal dorm to renovate for a specialty dining option. Michigan State previously did this with Holmes and Holden halls. Those smaller dorms became ideal to transform into kitchens that serve no peanuts, tree nuts or coconut.

Why was Thrive Created?

As I previously wrote, Michigan State offers gluten free options across campus. However, staff increasingly found themselves receiving calls about their ability to accommodate food allergies. While they liked how U of M offered a separate food allergy room, MSU felt the need to do more to help more students, as well as staff. Their goal was to not help students to “survive” on a few options, but to “thrive” with a safe dining area of their own.

How Safe is the Thrive Kitchen?

Read this excerpt from MSU’s recent publication on the Exciting Changes to Owen Hall.

“Thrive at Riverwalk Market at Owen will be certified free from the top eight food allergens (milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish) as well as sesame and gluten. The location will be certified by Kitchens With Confidence, a third-party accreditor that will regularly examine protocols and policies to verify the location as being free of the allergens listed. Certification includes reviewing the path of food from delivery at the dock to storage areas, food preparation areas, and serving.”

What Food Do They Offer?

Thrive contains three serving stations, a soup and salad bar, a soft serve machine that serves Dole Whip, and beverages. The three serving stations, named Tenderland, Grid and Pantry, serve very specific items. Tenderland offers hand breaded chicken fingers and french fries, daily, at lunch and dinner.

The Grid station serves foods such as tacos, noodle bowls, grain bowls and ethnic creations. The Pantry station serves steak, rotisserie chicken, potatoes, and other “traditional” types of meals.There is discussion of possibly adding a vegetarian station in the future, should enough interest arise.  Visit Eat At State for the daily Thrive menu.

I must admit my biggest excitement was the housemade coconut milk vanilla yogurt. I’ve tried many dairy free yogurts, and this is by far the best I’ve ever tried. You’ll find the yogurt on the salad bar, along with their house made Gluten free granola. They prepare it daily with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free oats. And of course I loved the Dole Whip.

But I Can’t Have …

Michigan State realizes people live with other food restrictions as well. Students can work with the dietitian and dining hall staff to have made-to-order meals prepared for their health needs. In addition, foods that contain pork, beef or alcohol are labeled as such.

What Feedback Have They Received?

I spent the meal talking with MSU’s head dietitian, Gina Keilen. She was eager to create Thrive to serve students and staff. However, she’s been astounded by the positive reception it’s had, just in their first month of opening. Not just her, but service staff have been humbled by the praise and happy tears from visitors.

She mentioned this positive reception has reinvigorated the entire dining services department. Staff with dietary restrictions are eager to work here and help others like them. Staff willingly take extra certification classes, understanding their knowledge can truly be a matter of life and death.

What Hours is Thrive Open?

Right now, hours are Monday – Friday 11 am – 3pm / 4:30- 7 pm, and Saturday & Sunday 11 am – 3 pm. As they gauge student interest, breakfast service may be added. (Gina stated chefs are already in the kitchen, playing with recipes in preparation for when that day comes.) Thrive is open to the public. Breakfast costs $9, lunch and dinner $13, and children ages 2-9 cost $6.75. Children under the age of 2 eat free. Click here for more info on meal costs and dining plans.

Where Do I Park?

There is some limited (and paid) parking right in front of Owen Hall. The last time I visited, on a Sunday in November, I had no problems finding a parking spot. If that space is full the best locations to park are Ramp 3 (Wharton Center) or Ramp 1 (next to the College of Law). For more questions about parking at MSU, visit their Visitor Parking page.

Thrive Location, Hours and Contact Information

Owen Hall
735 E Shaw Lane
East Lansing MI 48825

Hours : Monday – Friday 11 am – 3pm / 4:30- 7 pm Saturday & Sunday 11 am – 3 pm

Eat at State (MSU Dining) Website | Facebook | Instagram

Other Dining Halls I’ve Visited

University of Michigan
Oakland University
Western Michigan University

**I received a free meal while visiting. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I am beyond excited that Michigan State chose to take this drastic step to help students. **

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