TRAVERSE CITY — Local couple Em Randall and Jack Senff started Make Believe Pizza out of their house about three or four years ago.
Senff said they "dove into making pizza dough" when they could not go anywhere during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each week, they made a new vegetarian or vegan recipe, invited friends over to sample it and tweaked it as needed.
They started hosting Sunday pizza parties, which Senff said were popular. People could pick up pies, paying in donations.
Senff said some money went back into supplies and some went toward his work as a songwriter.
For about six months last year, Senff and Randall used the kitchen at Bubbie's Bagels on Tuesdays.
"We ran a pizza shop pop up," Senff said. "That gave us the momentum, the courage to start."
In March, Make Believe Pizza took over the deli area in the back of West Side Beverage.
Senff said he makes the dough, operates their oven and prepares their food. They usually offer a Beyond pepperoni, a sausage onion and a cheese pizza with a homemade red sauce. They also have a special pie that rotates frequently. All pizzas are vegetarian and can be made vegan by swapping a homemade cashew mozzarella, a dairy free cheese.
"It's fake meat, but the pepperoni is probably our top seller," Senff said. "We have some traditional aspects. We try to make familiar tastes — comfort pizza."
Randall is a painter and illustrator who has been cooking and baking for most of her life. In addition to helping prepare the pizzas, she crafts their bread bites and desserts.
"My desserts tend to change from week to week and are really just based on whatever I'm feeling or whatever's in season," Randall said.
Recently, they offered a "Strawberry Icebox Treat," which included a cracker crust, strawberry filling, strawberries and cream. She has also made vegan chocolate cookies and cake.
"I try to make desserts that aren't too heavy and act as a nice sweet compliment to everything else," she said.
Randall added that her favorites are the pepperoni pizza and white pies — like their garlic pizza with mozzarella, local greens, toasted walnuts, black pepper and grana (an Italian cheese).
Make Believe Pizza is located inside West Side Beverage on Front Street in Traverse City. People can preorder pizzas, sides and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Pickup times are from 4-8 p.m.
This summer, slices will be served for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. To see the current menu and to order, visit makebelievepizza.com.
[Originally published online and in print June 29, 2024]
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