Three Michigan food favorites now have joined forces. Casey Askar, chairman and chief executive officer of Papa Romano's and Mr. Pita, recently added Stucchi's ice cream to his company's brands.

Stucchis, which originated in Ann Arbor, operates 12 retail outlets in Michigan, North Carolina and Massachusetts, and a manufacturing facility in Saline, where its entire product line is produced.

Stucchi's products include 76 flavors of ice cream, 68 varieties of frozen yogurt and nine sorbets.

"We are always looking for brands to complement our existing product line and specifically had been seeking a strong dessert brand to add to our mix," Askar said in a press release. "With its high quality product and strong Michigan roots, Stucchi's is an excellent fit with our product line and also works well for us operationally."

Askar bought a majority interest in Stanford LLC Ltd., which operates the licensing arm and manufacturing plant of Stucchis.

A new holding company, Stucchi's Products LLC, was established and Askar named its CEO.

Daily operations at Stucchi's will continue to be run by the company's current owners and management team.

Askar said consumers can expect to see more and more Stucchi's stores and products. Askar plans to franchise the Stucchi's brand and convert all existing licensees to franchisees. Stucchi's products will also be offered at select Papa Romano's and Mr. Pita stores in the future.

Stucchi's also gives the company the option of co-branding Q offering the two brands under one roof. A new Papa Romano's scheduled to open in White Lake Township this spring will be the first co-branded with Stucchi's.

Askar also plans to expand the number of retail locations where Stucchi's pre-packaged products can be purchased. Stucchi's products are currently available at about 50 grocery and convenience stores.

"We want to build on what Stucchi's has already accomplished and further expand our distribution into the high-volume grocery sector," Askar said.