Secret Squares pizza joint now open in Church Hill

Secret Squares, which sells Detroit-style pizza, recently opened in Church Hill. (Courtesy Secret Squares)

A taste of the Motor City is revving up in Church Hill.

Secret Squares, a restaurant that bakes and sells Detroit-style pizza, is now open at 306 N. 29th St. The pizza joint is operating as a takeout-only spot, with plans to eventually introduce dine-in service.

Detroit-style pizza is topped to the edges with cheese, which drips down and caramelizes along the crust edges while the pizza bakes in a rectangular pan. The pizzas also feature sauce on top of toppings and cheese.

Secret Squares makes pizzas that are 8 by 10 inches in size and 2 inches deep. They sell for $25. The menu features pizzas with a variety of toppings and includes rotating creations. A mainstay of the menu is the Roni Pie, which features pepperoni and ricotta cheese topped with red sauce and dollops of hot honey.

Owner Willoughby Obenchain’s first taste of the Detroit-style’s crispy, cheesy crust led him to eventually launch a business devoted to the pizza. He first experienced the pizza a few years ago after a friend returned from a trip to Detroit with some of the city’s signature pizza to share. Obenchain said he was an instant fan and was eager for more.

“The cheese goes up to the edge, and being a deep pan it creates a wall of cheese on the end,” he said. “Those last bites of crust, the whole experience, was living in my mind. I was like, ‘How can I get this again?’”

Obenchain found few local options for this particular style of pizza, so he bought a couple pans and started to bake Detroit pies for himself as a hobby. His work in the kitchen during the pandemic to fine-tune a recipe resulted in a lot of pizza, which led him to share with friends.

In 2022, Secret Squares formally launched as a business, operating as a pop-up at The Kitchen Classroom in Henrico and other locations around town.

Obenchain said he had been able to build a following and felt the time had come to move into a brick-and-mortar location, which he leased earlier this year. Secret Squares officially opened at its Church Hill location in late October.

“Things were going great. People were receptive to it and it became time to take this to the next level and get our own space to do this,” he said.

Obenchain estimated that he’ll spend $50,000 to $60,000 in startup costs to fully open in the Church Hill space. The storefront was previously occupied by Ethiopian restaurant Nile, which after closing there pivoted to selling packaged meals.

Secret Squares encourages customers to order online ahead of their arrival to keep its operations flowing, since the business is making and selling whole pizzas. Obenchain said that while takeout is his focus for now, he may eventually offer delivery service.

In addition to introducing a limited amount of on-site seating, Obenchain said he plans to expand the Secret Squares menu beyond pizza to include salads and sandwiches. Obenchain is working on hiring fewer than 10 employees to work at the pizza shop.