NEW BUSINESS: Toarmina's Pizza Opens on Saline's West Side

Saline's west side has a pizza place again. Not just any pizza place, either.

Toarmina's Pizza, one of Metro Detroit's most popular pizza chains, officially opened its doors at 703 W. Michigan Ave. on Friday.  (Call 734-470-2444 for pickup or delivery)

The owner of the Saline location is Armando Pacheco. If this is all starting to sound familiar to you, you're on to something. Pacheco owns the adjoining Mexican restaurant called Paradise and owned the small Mexican grocery store that was located where Toarmina's operates now. There's another connection you might remember. Pacheco was once the head chef at Magiamo's Italian restaurant in downtown Saline. The owner of Mangiamo's was Pete Toarmina, who is related to the family that founded the Toarmina's restaurant chain. In fact, Pete's younger brother, Lou, is helping Pacheco with the opening of the new restaurant.

With all that time working with Pete and Laurie Toarmina, Pacheco understands what makes Toarmina's successful.

"All the ingredients are fresh," Pacheco said.

Lou Toarmina explained there are five keys to delicious pizza served by Toarmina's.

1. The pizza sauce is made using California tomatoes just hours after they were picked.
2. The dough is made fresh every day in the store.
3. The cheese is grated in the store every day. Many chain restaurants by the cheese grated, which contains chemicals to help prevent clumping.
4. The vegetables are cut fresh in the store each day.
5. They use only real meat with no soy additives.

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The menu features what you'd expect to find: pizza, oven-baked subs, calzones, salads, wings, breads, and lasagna. For dessert, there's cannoli and cinnamon bread. They also have a party menu featuring pizza, subs, sales, mostaccioli and more.

Toarmina's and Paradise are not only neighboring restaurants owned by the same person - they share employees. That means you can call Toarmina's and Paradise and order from both businesses and have delivered in the same order to your home.

Pictured above are Sara Ruiz, Wendy Ruiz, Freddy Ruiz, Armando Pacheco, Apolinar Salazar, Lou Toarmina and Zayd Ruiz.

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