DETROIT – Behind a nondescript door at an undisclosed address in the city is a food lab and test kitchen where the inventors are hoping they've just come up with the next big thing when it comes to pizza.
Brian Parker and his partners in Moo Cluck Moo made national headlines for their burgers with better ingredients as well as how they treat and pay their people. There is no minimum wage for people who work at either Moo Cluck Moo location. Now, Parker and his partners are launching PieQ, so-called because they say it's smarter pizza.
They've collaborated with well-known chef Jimmy Schmidt, who has come up with a gluten-free, lectin-free dough for the crust. Schmidt was a mainstay on the Detroit restaurant scene for decades. Everything that goes onto a PieQ isn't junk, either.
"When you walk in you'll know where everything came from -- the produce, the toppings, the meat," said Parker.
They're taking PieQ national, currently selling franchises across the country. Parker says if launching Moo Cluck Moo taught them anything it's that people are paying attention to what they're putting into their mouths because they know it impacts their health. They also want it to taste good.
"We want people to feel good about what they're eating. Everybody feels regretful when they eat pizza and we think we have a game-changer," said Parker.