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Delicious Detroit-Style Pizza Pops-Up in The Richmond

Updated: Jun 12, 2024 15:31
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There’s a new delicious pizza spot in The Richmond, TGI Pie Days, selling out mouth-watering pizza. It’s next popup is this Friday, June 7th, and I wouldn’t be your internet bestie if I didn’t give you the heads up with just enough time to score a pre-ordered pie. TGI Pie Days features Detroit-Style pies which are pan pizzas that typically have thicker dough and are baked in smaller pans where you get 4 or 6 slices per pie. Each pizza slice has a crunchy corner and crispy cheese on the edges.

The deliciously crunchy pizza from TGI Pie Days

The Unexpected Story behind TGI Pie Days

As cheesy as it sounds (pun intended), this story isn’t just about delicious pizza – it’s about supporting curiosity-driven entrepreneurs in SF and encouraging us all to continue to follow our own passions. TGI Pie Days is the creation of Pie-preneur Jake Savas, who is not only talented but also an all-around great guy. I first met Jake when he worked as a barista at the beloved neighborhood café, Blue Danube. A few years after our first initial introduction, I was surprised to find Jake had opened his own business just steps away from The Blue Danube, The Wishing Well Workshop – a letterpress print shop and awesome art supply store featuring a really well curated selection of art supplies. It’s truly my favorite little art store in SF and a must-shop spot for me any time I’m in The Richmond.

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Jake Savas of TGI Pie Days & Wishing Well Workshop

So, how does a barista turned printer pivot to pizza? Well, a little nudge from the community. Jake’s wife gifted him supplies to start making pizza at home and before he knew it he was making pizza for his favorite bar, O’Keefe’s – just for fun on game days for regulars. As things sometimes unfold, everyone at the bar was hooked on his pizza and things sorta spiraled from there. When he was gifted the opportunity to start a popup nearby, he followed his curiosity and TGI Pie Days officially launched to the public with raving reviews.

Jake Savas of TGI Pie Days makin’ pizza pies with a huge smile

TGI Pie Days Origin Story in Jake’s Own Words:

“I got super into recreating regional pizza styles and really fell in love with pan pizzas. Fast forward a few years I felt like I was making pizza that was on par or better than a lot of the local options so I started bringing it to my local bar (O’Keeffe’s on balboa) to feed the regulars during football games and I would get so many requests for pizzas that I decided it was time to start doing pop ups. Batches bakehouse has been nice enough to let me use their space and now I’m trying to do them every other Friday. Sometimes my other shop gets too busy and I have to cancel a pop up but that’s the plan right now!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jake (@tgi_piedays)

What’s Ahead for This Awesome Pizza Pop Up?

As we’ve learned, he loves to follow his curiosity and also engage with his community – I’m sure we will see more and more of that from him no matter what he does. I expect that Jake will continue to use the TGI pop up as a opportunity to play with seasonal flavors and explore different pizzas in the future.  The next TGI Pie Days popup is THIS WEEKEND, June 7th at @batchesbakesf  at 298 4th Ave SF, CA in The Richmond off Clement Street & you need to pre-order ahead. Popups will happen every other Friday as long as he’s able to balance the two businesses.

TGI Pie Days Popup – currently inside @batchesbakesf

Where to Find TGI Pie Days Online and In-Person

At this time, this awesome pizza spot is just a popup so you’ll have to keep an eye out on IG for when they have their next popup. It’s worth it, I promise!
IG: @tgi_piedays
Click here to reserve a pie  (until sold out)
Meet Jake at his other business, The Wishing Well Workshop (@wishingwellsf) around the corner from Batches on Clement at 252 Clement Street in SF

Jake Savas inside his other store, Wishing Well Workshop

Note: All images owned by @tgi_piedays and @wishingwellsf

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Katy Atchison

Katy Atchison

Katy has lived in The Bay Area since the age of 3. While other kids were attending summer camp & soccer practice, she was raised selling wares at craft shows with her working artist parents and spent vacations in a small 1920s Montana log cabin. This has all given her a unique perspective on the ever-changing texture of San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area. Currently a blend of all that is The Bay Area - she's a web designer at a tech-company, artist and DIY teacher.